Capu 5M
by keithallen
Summary: This is a continuation of Capu5 that is rated "T". Capu5 has the first chapters, 1-39. Capu 5M begins at chapter 40. Before you read this, go read Capu5, or you will be very,very lost and even a trail of breadcrumbs won't help. Capu5 Genres (I HATE THAT WORD!) involved are too many to list
1. Chapter 1

**NOTE : This is a continuation of the original Capu 5 in the 'K' rated section. Before you start this, go back and read Capu 5 , or you will be really, really lost. and YES, the first chapter in 5M is suppose to be ch 40. CH 1-39 are in Capu 5  
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CH 40

Frank squatted in the ditch, peering over the edge to peek between the trees at the door to the house his target was in. For support, Liz was on his left side in her camo outfit, aiming a .30 cal machine gun, ready to take out any threats coming at them. Kumiko just landed, folding her wings as she picked up her Remington 700 with the high power scope. The .270 could take out anyone who appeared in the windows to shoot at them.

"We're ready," Kumiko said, her voice sounding silkily soft, instead of a hard, combat tone.

"Ohh, yes we are," Liz replied in the same soft, sexy voice.

Frank kept his focus on that front door for the target to emerge.

"Let's go," Liz in a throaty tone.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Kumiko eagerly agreed.

Suddenly, Frank was on his back with Liz and Kumiko over him. Instead of combat clothes they only wore lacy black, and nearly see-through bras. That was it.

"The target," Frank told them. That was why they were here. He then found himself naked.

Looking down at his crotch, Kumiko's eyes lit up. "Ohh, yes! We must get the target," she said, and licked her lips.

"We MUST accomplish out objective," Liz agreed and lifted a leg to climb onto him.

"Wait, I wanted to sleep with Frank," Kumiko said, and straddled him first.

"No, he's mine," Liz said and bumped her off.

"Girls, we have to concentrate, the target!" Frank tried to tell them. "We have to shoot the target!"

Liz and Kumiko looked at each other. "Russian Roulette and the target shoots us!" they agreed. They met together in a long kiss over him, moaning in joy. They then shot rock-paper-scissors. Frank watched their breasts wiggle with the motion. Liz won with scissors cutting paper. She then went down on him, taking his shaft in her mouth and down her throat.

"Ahhh," Frank gasped as she pulled back slowly, sucking hard. His semi-erect member from watching them kiss became fully erect and hard.

After Liz lifted up, Kumiko plunged down on him, again taking him all the way in to pull back slowly. So warm, so soft they were.

"Bu... ahh..." Frank tried to say they couldn't be doing this, but he had trouble speaking. He tried to grab for them and push them away, and his hands somehow ended up on their bare breasts, their bras disappeared. He kneaded Liz's soft mound in one hand and Kumiko's soft, generous breast in his right. He wanted to let go, but his hands were stuck, fondling their luscious orbs. He just could not let go.

Taking turns, they each plunged down on him for one long suck. Frank was becoming frantic. He was going to miss his target! Even as he thought this, he was getting very hard from their attentions.

"Liz ... Kimuko!" he begged.

They were ignoring him, making him feel their softness and continuing to bob down on him in turn, seeing which one would be the one to make him erupt.

"No! ... Liz ... Kumiko!" Frank yelled in vain. He groin was cramping up. If they didn't stop this ... "LIZ! ... KUMIKO!" he yelled again. OH God, if they... didn't stop...

**BOOM**

...

Frank awoke as his door banged open. He sat up instantly to see Liz and Kumiko rush in wearing their nightgowns, Kumiko's nails were out. He was in his bedroom at the Aono mansion. It was dark outside.

"Frank, what is it?" Liz asked as she searched the room, ready to fight an intruder.

Kumiko ran to the window. "No one out here. What happened, Frank?" she asked in a worried tone.

Frank sat with a raging member as the two girls searched for a threat. It was so hard, it hurt. Thankfully the covers over him hid this fact from the girls who looked worried about him. He'd been dreaming, and apparently, he had yelled out loud. Embarrassed, he said, "Just a dream. Sorry."

"You had a nightmare?" Kumiko asked.

Liz studied him and said, "You are sweating and flushed. What did you dream about?"

There was no way he was going to tell them. "Just ... a contract gone bad," he lied.

"Are you afraid of a contract going bad?" Liz asked.

"Maybe if we stay here the nightmare won't come back. Want us to sleep with you?" Kumiko asked.

"NO! No, that's OK, I'm OK now," Frank said quickly.

"You sure? You already woke us up," Liz said.

"Really, I'm fine," Frank said firmly. If they even touched him, he was sure to explode. "I ... just want to get back to sleep."

Letting out a sigh, Kumiko left, saying, "If you change your mind, let me know."

Liz followed her out, pausing to ask, "You sure you don't want us to stay?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Once they were gone, Frank flopped back, letting out a long breath. He had always been very disciplined. WHY was he dreaming about sex? Even as he asked himself this, The Understanding Yukari had given him began to work. Liz and Kumiko had been getting involved with each other, and he was having feelings for them. Truthfully he was lusting after both of them. In his mind, he could still see them hugging in their underwear, and he wanted to take a hold of them both and thrown them down on a bed.

Embarrassed by this revelation, Frank let out another sigh. He could never let either of them, especially Liz, know he was having such perverted thoughts. He held a high respect for her, and did not want to ruin her opinion of him.

.

Mrs. Reynolds just knew there was not something right about the Levison family who lived next door. The husband Josh was a fine young man who was a doctor at the local hospital. His wife, Nora, was a pretty blond who worked as a head nurse there and also raised two young children who on the surface seemed normal enough. Their 12 year old boy, Aiden, was a typical boy who loved to play and climb trees and occasionally got in trouble from picking on his little sister, Sally. Sally was a cute little girl with a loud giggle, and her screech when she was surprised was ear-busting, just as any other girl her age. On the surface, they looked like the normal family.

However, Mrs. Reynolds kept a close watch on the moon. Every full moon, she heard wolves howl. One would start, then others would join in to howl in a chorus that raised the hair on the back of her neck. For months, she had no idea where these wolves could possibly be. The Sheriff told her to stay inside, and everything would be fine. A couple hunters had gone looking for them, but could not even find a track. One night she swore the sounds were coming from the Levison's house.

Was was odder was that bus than took Aiden to school. At first, Mrs. Reynolds thought nothing of a school bus coming to take kids to school. They were everywhere. A normal sight. Want wasn't normal was one morning she was taking out the garbage to the curb. The bus was picking up Aiden. She heard the bus go by behind her, then the engine noise stopped. All was quiet. She turned to look and the bus was gone. Not down the road, the bus was GONE. It had disappeared right off the road. There was no way that bus could have rolled down the road a half mile to the corner before she'd turned around to look for it.

For the longest time, Mrs. Reynolds kept inside on the full moons, and made sure she was out of the house, or in the house when the bus came to pick Aiden up, or drop him off. She didn't want to know. She was afraid to find out what was going on. One afternoon, she decided she had to find out more. She wanted to know if she was going crazy, or if that bus was really disappearing off the road.

Checking the time, Mrs. Reynolds made a point to be in the living room, looking out the window in the direction the bus came from. Watching the road, she focused on the turn at the top of the hill before the road came down past the Levison place, then past hers one hundred yards away. Although she didn't have a clear view due to the trees, she could see it well enough to see a big yellow bus come down the road. As she watched, she caught sight of the bus most of the way down the hill. It stopped at the Levison place. She'd been watching, that bus had not come down the hill! It just appeared halfway down.

lifting her binoculars, she watched Aiden and four girls get off the bus. The girl wore school uniforms like Aiden did, dark blue jackets, but instead of pants they wore scandalously short skirts. They were not normal girls, either. The dark haired one wore a pointed, wide brimmed hat and carried a stick with her. One had very pale pink hair. Another had purple hair, and was that girl with the bright pink hair wearing some kind of cat ears? She watched them skip and bounce around Aiden as all five went in the house. OK, maybe they were coming to practice a school play or do homework together.

Mrs. Reynolds decided she needed to clear the weeds from the far side of the garage and put in some flower beds. Once she was out there with her trimmers and small digger shovel, she though maybe the picket fence of their big yard (a little closer to the Levison house) needed attention. Getting her work clothes and gloves on, she took her bucket of tools out and started trimming one of the worst sections, which also had a decent view of the Levison back yard.

It wasn't an hour or so before the girls came out the back with Aiden. The girls sounded excited about something. She swore she heard them asking to 'ride Scooby-Do'. They then sang a few bars "Scooby Doobie, Do, where are you? We got some work for you now!" Then started laughing.

Nora came out the back door and told them firmly that Scooby Do was NOT coming out to play. OK, so they had a family dog. Mrs Reynolds guessed it was a Great Dane, but she had never seen it and never heard it bark. Maybe the dog was older and stayed inside.

The group began chattering about something else. Soon they grouped up by the house and one at a time, ran to slide on something she couldn't see. Whatever it was, it was slippery. They slid standing up for quite a ways. A slip& slide? No, she didn't think you could slide on those standing up. It was like they had a stretch of ice to slide on. It was way too warm for ice to form though.

This was getting odder and odder.

Sitting quietly and straining to hear them, Mrs. Reynolds heard a noise much closer, behind her. She turned to investigate and saw a large black shape enter the yard through a section of broken fence. It was a bear.

"Oh god," she whispered. The full grown black bear ambled along, looking around. Frozen in fear, Mrs. Reynolds didn't know what to do. As her mind raced, she remembered that yelling and banging on something would scare bears away. Getting up, she banged her shovel on the fence as she yelled, "Bear Go away!"

The bear lifted up on it's hind legs and let out a roar.

"Bear, Go away!" she screamed as she backed up.

The bear roared at her, walking forward on it's hind legs.

"Bear, go away!" she screamed in terror. Oh God, the bear was going to eat her just like the fellow they found out west!

Her eyes glued to the bear as she screamed and banged on the fence, Mrs. Reynolds prayed she wouldn't be mauled and eaten.

A streak raced up and the pale pink haired girl made an incredible jump to over the fence to kick the bear in the face. The bear fell backwards as she dropped down beyond it. She glanced at Mrs. Reynolds, then got between her and the bear. Raising her arms up and down, the girl yelled, "I'm a scary vampire, so get out of here, Mr. Bear!"

Mrs. Reynold's jaw dropped. What in the hell was that girl doing?

The bear got up and with a roar it charged. The pink haired girl set herself in a fighting stance.

Was that girl out of her mind? "RUUUUN!" Mrs. Reynolds screamed at the top of her lungs. Her heart was in her throat. She was sure that girl was about to get ripped apart by the angry bear.

Thick icicles then came flying in from nowhere to drive into the ground, making a solid line between the girl and the bear. The bear ran into them, breaking a few, but it was stopped. In a rage, it broke a few icicles with a swipe of it's paws. Showing it's teeth in a snarl, the bear let out a roar as it ripped the ice fence apart.

Mrs. Reynolds was petrified. She was rooted in place with fear and had no idea what was happening around her. Everything became surreal, like it was some kind of movie. It turned into a horror movie as the biggest, ugliest wolf she'd ever imagined landed in the yard beside the girl and nosed her back, which made her fall back on her butt. It had very coarse hair, and it was just as big, if not a bit bigger than the bear.

The girl scrambled up to stand just behind the wolf. The girl yelled, "Come on, Scooby-Do, scare him away!"

THAT thing was Scooby Do?

A brass pan came from nowhere and banged the bear on the head. The bear ran to the side, the wolf followed. The bear growled at the wolf in warning. The wolf, showing a long mouth filled with big teeth, growled back in a nasty sounding growl. The bear stood on his hind legs, and so did the wolf, towering over the bear. The wolf let out a mighty growl that Mrs. Reynolds swore she felt in her bones. The bear backed up and tripped. It then fled back through the opening in the fence and kept running.

"Yay, Scooby Do!" the pale pink haired girl cried as she jumped up and down, exposing her white panties. Three other girls leaped the picket fence as the horrid looking monster wolf dropped back to all fours. All the girls ran over, hugged it, and cheered for 'Scooby Do'.

Finally, the bright pink haired girl came over to Mrs. Reynolds. "Are you OK, Ma'am?" she asked.

Mrs. Reynolds nodded vacantly. Those weren't cat ears, dear God, those were horns on her head!

The pink haired girl turn and called, "Hey, she needs something to sit on, she doesn't look well!"

The purple haired girl ran over to a large rock in the yard Mrs. Reynolds used for decoration. She waved and called, "Azami, I need a hand."

Mrs. Reynolds watched as the two girls picked the six foot diameter, two foot thick rock up and carried it over behind her and set it down.

"Please, sit and relax," the bright pink haired girl said.

The huge wolf, Scooby Do, came over to sit on his haunches, watching them. Sitting down, the wolf was taller than the girls.

"Would you like a drink, Ma'am?" Azami asked. Mrs. Reynolds then noticed the girl had one green eye and one red one.

Mrs. Reynolds nodded vacantly. This could not be real! "Water, please," she got out.

"I'll get it!" the dark haired girl said. She waved her wand. A glass appeared in her hand. Water poured down on her head.

Azami laughed and said, "You really suck as a witch, Jade."

Jade scowled at her. She raised her wand and the purple haired girl grabbed her wrist.

"Stop before you hurt yourself. I'll get it," she said in a monotone voice.

Mrs. Reynolds found her voice enough to ask. "Who ... ARE you people?"

Proudly, Azami said, "My name is Azami Aono. This brave wolf is Scooby-Do," she said and hugged the wolf around the neck. "The girl going inside is my sister, Moka Junior, the pink haired girl is Kanae Kikumura, and that poor excuse for a witch is Jade Kurama."

"WHY YOU!" Jade growled.

"Jade, stop it!" Kanae yelled at her.

"She's insulting me!" Jade shot back.

"Then practice more. Azami is right, you suck at magic."

Jade frowned at her. "Yeah? Well ... I'll get better at it, you'll see!"

"We won't hold our breaths," Azami said with a crooked grin.

Jade waved her wand. Azami quickly raised her hands over her head and caught the watermelon that fell from nowhere. Tossing it behind her, she waved her hand in the air. A brass pan appeared in the air over Jade.

**BONG**

Jade collapsed and cried out in pain.

"Is that what you were trying to do?" Azami asked.

"Enough!" Kanae wailed.

The wolf 's shoulders were hitching as it made sounds like a car trying to start. Mrs. Reynolds blinked at it. Was that wolf laughing?

"Got your water," Moka Jr. said, coming back. "I cooled it down for you, Ma'am," she said in her flat tone.

Mrs. Reynolds took the frosted glass. "Thank you," she said.

A far off voice called out, "Aiiiden!"

The wolf perked up. "Rotta ro," it said. In a single leap, it cleared the yard and took off running for the trees.

"We have to go," Azami said and eyed Mrs. Reynolds closely. "You OK, Ma'am?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied.

"Come on, Jade we have to go," Kanae said. She looked at Jade, and Jade lifted off the ground. Kanae ran and jumped over the fence, Jade floated along behind her.

"We're glad you didn't get hurt. Bye, Ma'am," Azami said and raced off, leaping the fence.

Moka Jr. waved her hand in parting, leaped the fence and raced off after them.

.

Mrs. Reynolds sat trying to wrap her mind around what just happened. She felt dizzy even thinking about what she'd just seen. A giant wolf that spoke, strange girls that could do incredible things, it was just too much. Part of the mystery of the Levison house was solved though. It had to be that wolf that was howling at the moon. A wolf that could make a full grown black bear back down, and it spoke!

Mrs. Reynolds also realized this strange group had saved her life. Nightmarish creatures straight out of the horror movies had come to her rescue. She took a drink of the cold, nearly ice water she'd been given, sitting on a rock that had taken a backhoe to get into place, but was picked up and moved by two girls so she could sit down.

If nothing else, Mrs. Reynolds knew when to be thankful. She went in the house to bake some chocolate chip cookies as a token of her thanks to those strange kids for driving that bear off.

.

Tsukune, Moka, Mizore,Tsukune Jr. and Akemi got out of the limo at the Collins' house. Tsukune thanked the driver for opening the doors. Tsukune was in a dark gray suit, Moka wore a black evening gown, Akemi wore a black kimono with pink trim and pink flower print. Akemi's hair was done up in a bun with a few strands left free to bracket her face. They all wore overcoats against the crisp autumn climate. Mizore was wrapped in a light, knee length yukata, as was Tsukune Jr.

The driver and the doorman shivered just looking at the snow faeries light covering and bare legs. It was nearly cold enough to snow, but Mizore and her son looked quite comfortable.

"Greeting, Mr. Aono, Mrs. Aono," the doorman said with a bow as he opened the door for them. Tsukune, Moka and Mizore bowed briefly back to him and entered the main hall.

Mrs. Elizabeth Collins met then at the door as Willy took their coats. "Welcome, Mr. Aono, Mrs. Aono, Mrs. Aono," she said ensuring she acknowledged Moka and Mizore. "Roger is in the reception hall. Barnabas and Jeremiah should be back soon, they took the Mers up to one of the fish farms earlier. Please, make yourselves at home." To Akemi and Tsukune Jr. she said, "Come, children, I will show you to the play room."

Tsukune went into the reception Hall, Mizore on his left arm, Moka on his right.

"Warm in here," Mizore said, and dug out a lollipop.

Tsukune noticed there had to be thirty people here, most of whom he didn't know.

An auburn haired woman with close cropped hair and wearing a tan skirt and suit jacket spotted them. "Aono Moka?" she asked as she approached. "I am Kathy Baker," she said, extending her hand.

"Ah, Miss Baker, " Moka said with a smile as she shook her hand. "Kathy, this is my husband, Tsukune, and sister wife, Mizore."

"Please to ..." Kathy said, then her smile and words froze. She stared at them briefly, then asked, Moka, "Did you say ... sister wife?"

"That's right." To Mizore, Moka explained, "I've talked to Miss Baker over the phone many times. It is a pleasure to finally meet her."

"Um," Mizore said with a nod.

Kathy seemed at a loss for words. Recovering, she said,"I see. Moka, Mr. Martin is here, I would love to introduce you to him."

"Mr. Aono!" Roger said heartily as he approached. He bowed to Tsukune, then with bows to each woman, he said, "Moka-san, Mizore-san, I'm happy you could make it. May I steal your husband away for a moment?"

"Me too," Mizore said in a flat tone, holding tight to Tsukune.

.

Akemi went into the 'play room', which was also a more formal arrangement. All the kids were in dresses and suits. Obviously there was no 'play', except for a some tabletop games scattered through the room.

"Akemi!" Daniel cried. He ran over to her and they hugged. Stepping back, Daniel wore a big smile as he said, "WOW! you are really pretty! That looks fantastic on you!" Which caused Akemi to blush.

A dark haired, dark eyed girl came up eyeing Akemi's kimono, and asked,"Why do you get you wear your bath robe? I had to get dressed up."

Akemi cast her a frown.

"Gina, this is a Kimono. It's traditional Japanese clothing," Daniel explained.

"It looks comfortable," Gina noted.

"It is," Akemi agreed. "My name is Akemi Aono," she said with a slight bow.

Gina looked at her, then her face brightened up. "Yeah, OK, you're the mermaid girl on the wall out there!" She spun to call, "Betty, Laura, come over here! The mermaid girl is here!"

They and a few others came over to see Akemi.

"Wow," one boys said with a wide grin, and asked, "So is it like the movies? Do you have legs out of the water and a tail in the water?"

"Can you breathe water or air?"

"Can you really stand on your tail like a dolphin like in that painting?"

"Mat! bring your camera over here, I want a picture with the mermaid girl!"

"Her name is Akemi," Daniel told them.

Embarrassed, Akemi waved her hands and said, "No, you misunderstand. I'm not a mermaid. I just have a mermaid's tail. It's like swim fins, only it goes from my waist down past my feet."

"I think you are a real mermaid, you just don't want people to know," another girl said.

"I'm not a mermaid, I'm a vampire," Akemi explained.

"What? no way!"

"If you're a vampire, where are your fangs?"

Akemi had been hoping to spend the evening with Daniel. He was there by her side, but she ended up being assaulted with questions and posing for pictures with all these other kids.

.

Moka met and talked with Mr. Martin, who was the president of the local banks and head of the city council. Other than pleasantries and thanking her and Tsukune for a good 'boost' to their economy, they did not discuss anything important. After Mr. Martin was called away to go talk to someone else, Kathy took Moka aside out on a patio.

In a serious tone, Kathy said, "I don't understand you. Moka, you are so self assured and you seem like you have such a strong will. Not to mention certain people have warned me to stay on your good side ... I had always thought you were a truly liberated woman."

Moka eyed her and asked, "What are you getting at?"

Kathy waved a hand towards the people inside and said in an exasperated tone, "Your husband has another wife!" she cried. "It's bad enough you let some .. man rule your life, but he doesn't even have the decently to TRY and hide screwing around on you! Do you have any pride at all?"

Moka's face shifted into a glare. "You would be well advised to mind your own business when it comes to my family." Moka went to go back in, but Kathy moved in front of her.

"I do not mean to pry into your life, but to see how firm and confidently you do business, how can you possibly degrade yourself..."

Kathy's words were cut off as Moka grabbed her by the collar one handed and planted her against the wall. Her grip was like iron. In an firm, even tone, Moka said "You speak as if you have any clue what pride and honor are. You think pride is living by yourself and acting only for yourself? I had that kind of pride when I was a child. I grew up. If you want to live alone, caring only for and about yourself, that is your choice. You will mind your own business and not bother myself, or any of my family with your nonsense again, or I WILL show you your place." Moka then let her go and went back inside.

Kathy stood watching her go in, trembling and not from the cold, but from some primeval fear she could not explain. There was something in Moka Aono's voice that made her want to flee. She had to try though, Moka was too gorgeous to be married to any man, let alone some perverted bigamist. She desperately wanted to save the woman from herself.

.

Tsukune had warned Mizore how boring this meeting was going to be, and he was right. She had to stand by as Tsukune made pointless discussion with several people, and she could not just find a good spot to watch from. Mizore was still glad she came, she was beside Tsukune. Not having anything else to do, Mizore identified six good watching spots in this room alone.

One thing Mizore noted was the auburn haired woman with a man's haircut eyeing her and Tsukune through the crowd. The woman hung near Roger Collins as he and another woman talked to Moka, but her eyes kept coming back to Tsukune. What an amateur.

Noting Tsukune's glass was empty, Mizore held it and asked, "More?"

"Yes, please, dear."

Mizore smiled at him. She always got a warm feeling when the father of her children called her that, or any pet name. She went to the table of refreshments and found the tomato juice and refilled Tsukune's glass.

"Excuse me. Mizore right?"

Mizore turned to see the auburn haired woman. "Um."

Kathy wasn't sure if that was a response. Maybe the woman couldn't speak. "I was just wondering, do you have any children?"

Mizore nodded with an, "Um." She then refilled her own glass.

"I was wondering because I love children, but I haven't had any myself ... yet," Kathy prodded.

Mizore eyed her warily. "Stay away from our husband," she said, and picked up the glasses to leave.

Kathy walked beside Mizore. "I didn't mean anything like that," she said with a fake giggle. "I was just wondering if you and Moka and all your children lived together, or if you all had separate homes."

Mizore stopped and put both glasses in one hand. She looked at Kathy and said, "You have no children?"

"No, I don't."

"No husband or boyfriend?"

"That's right, I live alone."

"Good. No one will miss you," Mizore said and reached out and touched Kathy's shoulder, freezing her solid. Mizore went back to Tsukune.

Frozen stiff with a coating of ice and frost on her, Kathy was admired by several people as the most realistic ice sculpture they had ever seen.

.

Tsukune Jr. peeked out at the Adult's party. Behind him, the lady watching them was currently frantic just because Akami bit Daniel on the neck. No one was watching, so he slipped out and found a good place to watch from. The nook where the large stone fireplace came out of the wall. He went over and got in place. It was a comfy spot, and no one noticed him. Well, almost no one. Mama Mizore turned to return his stare. Yes, she knew he was there and looked back at him, meeting his eyes. He felt loved.

A large woman got between him and his mother. Tsukune Jr. noticed the woman had a seam going up the backs of her legs. The way they bulged, he had to wonder if she had a zipper holding her in her skin. She moved and he saw she had stockings on. By the looks of it, the stockings were holding the lumpy things in her legs more or less flat. He heard her complain about being hot. He blew a cold breath at her, trying to help.

The woman gasped, patted her dress down in the back and turned around. Seeing him, she screamed and backed up into the table. She slipped and fell on the table end. The table shot up like a catapult. Drinks and snack trays went flying. The double tiered shrimp tray with the horseradish sauce hit Kathy. The cold meat platter with the condiment in the center caught a well dressed man square in the face. Kathy tipped forward into another woman, her hand caught the woman's skirt and pulled her skirt down to her ankles. This caused another scream.

Tsukune Jr. knew he'd been seen, so he walked quickly and quietly around the growing confusion of yelping and screaming people and up to his mother's side. He hugged her, trying to hide against her. Mizore patted his head.

The older Tsukune also saw the commotion, as well as the frozen woman on the floor. "Ahh, Mizore?" he asked and nodded to the Kathy as someone tripped over her. "Thaw her out please?"

.

Tsukune apologized to Roger Collins, to the Lady Tsukune Jr. had frightened, then to a shivering Miss Baker who only nodded at him from within the blanket around her as she sat in an easy chair, fearing to say a word to any of the Aono family.

"Akemi!" Daniel called as he came up to her. "You're leaving already?" he asked.

Akemi nodded sadly. "We have to."

"OK. Bye," Daniel said, and hugged her. As they hugged, Daniel gave Akemi a lingering kiss on her neck. Akemi's eyes fluttered and her mouth opened to show her fangs. She bit down on Daniel's neck as he held the back of her head. She then licked his neck clean of a bit of leftover blood.

"Akemi, come. We have to go," Moka prodded.

Akemi moved away slowly, her and Daniel eyeing each other as their hands slid across each other bodies, then down each other's arms until their hands separated. Their eyes stayed glued to each other until Akemi was out of sight.

Shivering so hard her muscles hurt and covered with bits of whatever was on the table, Kathy watched their parting, vowing NEVER to get within reach of the Aonos ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

CH 41

Bernd Larson picked over the group they had captured. One of his men acting as a 'tour guide' had brought a pack of tourist out to show them the sights of the beautiful northern Hokkaido wilderness. Once he had guided them into a cave, he put his gas mask on and at the cave entrance, Bernd and two others lobbed in the sleeping gas.

Huffing through his mask from exertion, the blond headed Bernd stood over a man. He searched the man, finding the cell phone and a camera. He broke both of these with a stomp of his foot then reached down and twisted the man's head until he heard a satisfying snap. The body twitched and lay still. Right by the man was a dark haired woman. He turned her on her back and used his knife to rip the front of her clothes open. She had a decent shape, and she looked pretty enough. He found and destroyed her cell phone, a small laptop, then stripped her, flipped her over and tied her hands behind her back and her feet together. It was hard work, going through all these people.

They had captured thirty six people. trucks backed up to the cave entrance as Bernd and his men worked frantically. All electronic devices on the tourists were destroyed, all passports, personal items and removed clothing were bagged for disposal. This garbage went on one truck. Each person was scrutinized. Men and boys were immediately killed. Their necks broken and dumped into the second truck. females were scrutinized. if they had a decent face and body, they were tied up and put in the third truck. If not, their neck was snapped and they went on the second truck for disposal.

Once the cave was cleared of people, Bernd has his men went over the floor again to be sure nothing was left behind. Tracks were obscured with rakes, a few pieces of jewelery were picked up. Once the area was clear, Bernd got in the third truck with two men and drove off. The other two trucks went the other way to an incinerator that supplied steam to power the area's electricity. In a couple hours, any evidence became ash.

Bernd made some money running the incinerator/generator, but his real profit came from selling the captured women into slavery. Almost every women they captured screamed and tried to get free or hurt their captors. He'd learned how to torture them without leaving physical marks. Electric shocks, water torture, and sleep deprivation did a lot to tame the new slaves. For those few who wanted to die rather than become a slave, he has clients for those also. Those 'snuff' girls went for an even higher price. He didn't care how those perverts got rid of the ones they bought, he only required a half million deposit on the girl's heads. They got the deposit back when he got the head back - ensuring every disobedient slave was accounted for.

In the ten years he had been doing this, only one time did he have a slave get free. At the time, he was working out of Africa. The man who'd bought the young woman was an undercover agent for some humanity organization. Of course, the sale was broadcast, and the proud man let his new slave go. Bernd had the man killed, and since the woman had tried to return home, he caught her and made his own film to show her screaming death.

Today wasn't a bad haul, eleven slave quality females out of thirty six was a good ratio. Figuring two would swear to 'die before they would submit to slavery', that meant a bit more profit. He was set for a couple year period of 'laying low' while police and Interpol went scrambling for clues to those people's fates and digging for evidence of who committed this 'heinous' crime as the media liked to call it. In the mean time, Bernd would run his electric plant and sell the conditioned slaves in very private auctions to very rich people.

.

At breakfast, Frank had a hard time looking at Liz or Kumiko. That dream he had was still with him, all too clear. When Kumiko took a drink, Frank noted the motion of her throat and looked away. WHY did something that simple look so erotic now? Liz chewing her food should be no big deal, but Frank found when she ran her tongue across her lips, his shorts swelled. He tried to divert that line of thinking before the Understanding took hold. He didn't need that to know he was becoming a pervert.

He concluded this had to be something Yukari had done to him. Yes, he understood anything he read, no matter the language, but apparently this was a downside of that magic.

Tsukune interrupted his thoughts. "Frank, I'd like you to come with me today instead of going to school," he said.

Frank nodded, thankful for the interruption. "Sure. Anything important?"

"If it wasn't, I would not be taking you away from school," Tsukune replied.

Kumiko looked at her father and asked, "Papa, can we help?"

"I should go with Frank," Liz stated.

"I just want his opinion on something, he'll be fine. You two go to school as normal," Tsukune assured them.

"I'll tell you if it's something we need to worry about," Frank assured Liz. He was grateful for the break from them. Maybe he could get his head together.

Frank finished his breakfast and excused himself the same time as Tsukune. He wished Liz and Kumiko a good day, and went with Tsukune into the city.

.

Sitting in the back of the limo with Tsukune, Frank asked, "Is this about one of the men I'm looking for?"

Tsukune nodded. "You can identify Bernd Larson?" he asked.

"Not sure," Frank admitted. "All I know for sure is he is a scum bag."

Tsukune let out a snort. "From what I was told early this morning, he's a very evil man. I been busy on the phone since early this morning. An Imperial investigator wants to talk to me to see if I can help. When we get there, watch and listen. As far as they are concerned, you're my young assistant in training."

"They know where he is?"

Tsukune eye him and said, "It's not that simple. You'll hear all about it when we get there. We'll get this guy, but you'll need to have some patience. Like I said, watch and listen."

.

Arriving at the police station, Tsukune and Frank went inside to find uniformed officers waiting for them. Tsukune introduced Frank as his assistant in training, then introduced the Chief of Police and the police Captain to Frank. They went up into a conference room where more investigators waited for them. They sat down as an older investigator with gray hair took position by a projector.

"Gentlemen," the man said in a firm tone. "I am Senior Inspector Shahero. I have brought all the information we have collected on this case that we have. I have been informed that Mr. Aono may be

able to solve this case, and all of us here are to give Mr. Aono any assistance he needs."

Shahero turned the projector on to show a group of tourists. "These people here are missing. They arrived at the Utoro docks for a tour of the heritage sights in north eastern Hokkaido, two weeks ago. A tour guide led them on their way. No one has seen any of them since. All the dates and times are in the investigation folder. A search is being conducted for them. We discovered the tour guide, who went by a false name and worked for a false company, has disappeared also. No demands have been made, no sign of where these people went has been discovered. We believe this may be the work of yokai. Mr. Aono, may we have your cooperation, please."

Tsukune stood up and bowed to him. "I am yours, Chief Inspector. I will need to assemble a team and visit the area. I also have been looking into other cases where groups of people seemed to have vanished. If Yakuza, or another organized crime group had taken those people, we'd be finding their bodies. Crime syndicates tend to leave their victims to be found as examples. If it were terrorists, they would be letting someone know they have those people, and their demands, OR the punishment of those they took would be publicized. What I believe is, this was an abduction by human traffickers. These people are very quiet about their abductions. Especially a man named Bernd Larson. He was operating in Africa a couple years ago. He tended to grab a crowd of people, sort out the slaves he wanted, and kill the rest. Interpol has sketchy information on him, and unfortunately no photographs. The lack of evidence as well as the abduction of the entire group, is how this Larson works. He leaves nothing behind so the ones he ... chooses to sell, can be made over to become unrecognizable until after he is long gone."

Tsukune sat down.

"Where did you get this information?" The Cheif Inspector asked.

"William Smith, in London, Sir. Right after those people went missing, he talked to Interpol and began researching who could be behind the kidnappings, and what their motive may be. To quote , 'this stinks of Bernd Larson'. He also has no location on Larson or other information we can use at this time," Tsukune explained.

"Then we have made progress," the Chief Inspector said. "This Mr. Larson is a confirmed suspect. Everyone, find out everything you can about him. Mr. Aono, thank you for coming and taking on this task."

Tsukune rose and bowed again. "It is always a pleasure to help law enforcement. I will keep you informed of our progress."

.

Frank looked agitated as they headed back to Witch Hill. Seeing this, Tsukune said, "When we find Mr. Larson, and we will find him, remember that saving innocents is our first priority. After we get people out of harm's way, then we can deal with the guilty."

"He's mine," Frank said in a rough tone.

"Frank, I need to trust you will work with us as a team, or you are of no use to me," Tsukune said sternly.

Frank's jaw clenched. "I understand," he said heavily. "Mr. Aono, I am a soldier and an assassin, and I'm good at it. I will do as you say and follow your orders until I find Bernd Larson. Then I can't promise anything."

"I suppose I can't ask for more than that," Tsukune replied.

.

Tsukune let Frank help with his team building. Obviously, Frank and Liz were first on Frank's list. Tsukune winced at Kumiko, but Frank had a valid point. Kumiko and Kumrmu had the ability to extract the truth from those they wanted to interrogate by reading their minds. Yukari was a must, and Tsukune asked for Ruby as well for more magical help. Moka insisted Akemi be involved, she needed to get experience. There was no better observer than Mizore, and Lucy was the ultimate for support and defense. Tsukune knew when they got close to this Larson guy, things were going to get nasty.

Assuming that Larson might retaliate if able, Tsukune ensured the rest of the households were aware and on their guard. He contacted Kashiro and Kaiyo to let them know to be extra careful. At the moment he had no idea if any yokai were involved, but he had to guard against such, just in case.

The first thing Tsukune did, was have Ruby and Yukari scry out the tourist group. From a previous incident when Tsukune had leaped through into the past, endangering himself, Tsukune was not allowed in Yukari's magic room during the scry. Inner Moka stood guard to ensure Tsukune did not try to interfere with events of the past. They wisdom was correct, Tsukune would have leaped through if he saw what happened.

After the scry, Yukari was a total wreck, sobbing pitifully. Ruby cried, but held herself together enough to tell everyone what she witnessed in that cave. She only followed the truck with the few living people left in it to a remote camp site where someone threw up a block against her scry.

After her tearful telling of the story of murder and kidnapping to her now stone-faced friends, she said, "They have one witch, but everyone else I saw were humans."

Tsukune nodded grimly. "You say they were headed south?" he asked.

Ruby nodded. "Yes, but this was two weeks ago. They could be anywhere now."

Rubbing his chin, Tsukune thought aloud. "I doubt they have left Hokkaido. Still, Hokkaido is a large place. I don't think they will want to travel far with their captives. You said only women were taken?"

"That's right. Everyone else was killed. I did see all the men's faces once they left the cave, I can identify them. Let me project them for you," Ruby said.

"Let's get pictures, the police will want to see what they look like," Tsukune said.

"On paper then," Ruby said. Akemi got four sheets of paper. Ruby cast the likenesses of the men onto them. It was as clear as of someone had taken a picture of them.

"Recognize anyone?" Tsukune asked Frank.

Frank studied the pictures for a while. He shook his head with a frown. "Sorry," he said.

Tsukune collected the images and handed them to Kurumu. "Please take these to the police station immediately. Let the Chief Inspector know these are our suspects. They have eleven female hostages from that group, the rest were killed. If he has any questions, have him call me."

Kurumu nodded solemnly. "Don't go after them until I get back," she said. Walking to the window, she jumped out and flew away.

"Those men deserve to die," Kumiko said heavily.

Akemi looked at her and nodded.

It bothered Tsukune that his daughters learned what happened in that cave. Some of their innocence had just been brutally striped away. Moka was right. Although he didn't like, it he knew these were a few of the hard lessons his children needed to learn. He also feared they would learn many more before this was over.

Damn the world for being like this!

.

It was no surprise that a half hour later, the Chief of Police called Tsukune. The mugs shots of those men were going out all over the country to every police station and newspaper, and to Interpol. Every airport and sea port on Hokkaido would have multiple copies, and every plane and vessel would be searched for the men. On Hokkaido, checkpoints were going up everywhere and remote areas were being searched by the Self Defense Forces as well as police. A major manhunt was going on that included searching buildings and residences. Japan's biggest flat top 'destroyer' (which looked more like an aircraft carrier) , was ferrying thirty helicopters to assist those already in Hokkaido to help in the search. Tsukune backed a one hundred twenty five million yen reward for information leading to the capture of those men. Tsukune added ten dragons to the search to investigate the deep mountain gorges helicopters couldn't safely get into.

Pulling out all the stops, Tsukune talked to Issa Shuzen and offered him an additional five hundred million yen to get his people looking for those men also. Issa was eager to help, for although vampires did feed on humans, dead humans could not be fed upon. It also helped Issa's own goals by being seen as a responsible businessman, and a 'friend' Lord to humanity. Under Issa, six hundred Yakuza and another two hundred vampires joined the search.

While this massive search was getting underway, Ruby had an idea. She had been blocked by a witch, so she could not see what was happening in that camp. Reasoning it out, if she, Yukari and Lin all began a 'general scry', just looking down on areas. If they were blocked, they could narrow the search area to within a few square kilometers..

.

Bernd had played this game before. He grabbed people and the police covered the area in a massive search to find them. He laid low, the searches became frustrated and petered out after a month or two, and he slipped away with his prizes. In his mountain retreat that was nestled in the trees so as not to be seen from the air, he and his men relaxed and began the slave's training with slow tortures in the deep basement and waited out the frantic searches.

Two and a half weeks after he'd capture his new slaves, Bernd got a surprise. His face was shown on TV with his other three men, asking anyone who seen them to turn them in for the now two hundred million yen reward.

"What the FUCK!" Bernd cried, and sat straight up. How did they identify him? His mind raced. They had been very careful, he had ensure every camera the tourists had was broken, then incinerated, along with all the phones. Did one of those tourists 'live stream' the attack in the cave? Even that didn't make sense, because he and his men were all wearing gas masks. He was always very careful to never get photographed, or use his real name. The news also told the details about the number of people killed, and the women stripped and taken in the cave.

No matter how the police got his picture, one thing was clear. Hokkaido, or anywhere in Japan was no longer a safe place to be. There was an emergency escape helicopter at the plant, but they knew his face. With fifty workers there around the clock, he'd be an idiot to think someone would not turn him in before he could get in the air. Even if he did, he would not make the Russian islands nearby before he was forced to land, or shot down. He sure as hell had no chance at evading capture if he and his men were dragging their slaves with them. "FUCK!" he screamed. In his anger, he pulled his pistol and shot the television.

"Boss, what's up?" Ethan asked as he burst in with his own pistol out.

"They've got our pictures!" Bernd yelled. "Just how in the hell did that happen?"

Ethan scowled at him. "Hey, boss, just calm down. We wait for the heat to die down, then slip off as planned."

This job was a bust. Bernd knew he'd have to disappear completely. Forcing himself calm, he said, "Yeah, you're right. I still want to make sure our way out is clear. I'm going to go check our boat to make sure it hasn't been raided. I'll be going disguised, and only look from a distance, but it will take a couple days."

"Not a good idea, Boss. You might be followed back here," Ethan warned.

"Got your satellite phone, right?" Bernd asked.

"Yeah."

Thinking as he talked, Bernd said, "OK, I'll go check on the boat and stay nearby. If I see anyone sniffing around, then we'll take the helicopter out. Hey, I'm taking the chance here. I figure it's my responsibility."

"OK, but if you get caught, we're leaving without you," Ethan warned. "Besides, you'll be missing out on a lot of pussy. They're still pretty feisty too," Ethan added with a grin.

"Yeah, I know," Bernd said heavily. He was missing out on about thirty million dollars worth of pussy.

Bernd went to his room and drug out the makeup kit. He dyed his hair and eyebrows black, put 'instant tan' on his face neck and arms, put in brown contacts, and took a suit with him in his camping backpack. If he hurried, he could still escape. The only one he did not want to leave behind was his witch. It had taken him extra time and effort to break her, but she was loyal to him. As a final test of her loyalty, he'd told her to hang herself. She did. He almost didn't get her down before she died. She was also the one person he was afraid of the police getting their hands on. She knew everything. The other goons were just muscle she had cast spells on to make them work for him.

Bernd went to her room. The Indian witch was on the floor, sitting on her feet by the pentagram she'd made. Turning to see him, she said, "I haven't detected any more scry's. Whoever that was hasn't found us."

Bernd petted her hair. "My lovely witch, you are so loyal and useful," he said softly.

"Thank you, master, and you look handsome today," she said, beaming a smile at him.

He was also glad her dark hair and eyes matched his look, they could travel as a couple. Bernd motioned to the room and said, "Pack up your things, we are leaving right now. Right after we kill everyone."


	3. Chapter 3

CH 42

Tsukune waited anxiously for four days as Yukari and Ruby scanned Hokkaido with their scries. Wanting to get there just as soon as the witches found something, Tsukune had Akemi, Kumiko, Liz and Frank do their school work in the library.

When the break came, it wasn't Ruby or Yukari that made it. A call from an SDF officer told him they had a previously unknown cabin surrounded. They gave him the co-ordinates. Tsukune quickly ran for Yukari's magic room as he had Minori tell everyone to get ready for combat and come to the magic room.

Kumiko was glad Minori came in and told them to 'scramble'. She hated this math problem. No matter how she worked the numbers, she could not get it to work out so Frank could be her boyfriend, like Daniel had done with Akemi.

Leaving their books where they lay, the teens ran for the weapons Frank had laid out. Frank tossed Liz a gun belt with her sword and .50 cal automatic pistol and full ammo pouches, then her rifle. Although Kumiko didn't want a gun, Frank made her take a .45 APC just in case she needed it. Kumiko strapped on the gun belt with the pistol and ammo as she jogged for Yukari's room. Akemi took her gun belt with the ,45 and ammo also just to please them. Frank loaded himself down with his ammo belt, his shotgun and his .50 cal sniper rifle.

Getting to Yukari's magic room, Lucy met them, and touched Akemi's forehead like she had touched Moka and Tsukune, giving them temporary, but very powerful mind hands. Mizore had a sniper rifle, so she could 'reach out and touch someone' from a distance. Kurumu carried a .45. Yukari and Ruby had their spells set to go. Tsukune checked to be sure everyone was ready, then had Yukari open the portal. Yukari cast her magic, and a portal opened to show a roughly build log cabin.

Lucy and Moka jumped through first and moved to the sides, followed by Tsukune, Ruby, Mizore, Kurumu, Akemi, Frank then Liz and Kumiko. Upon going through the portal, Krumu and Kumiko took to the air and landed on the roof of the cabin. Tsukune ran straight for the door as Lucy and Moka headed to the corners. Mizore and Liz ran around to the back on one side, Frank stayed back beside Ruby.

"I sense no one in there. Alive, anyway," Moka stated.

"Break in!"Tsukune barked. He kicked the door in as Moka ripped a hole in one side wall and Lucy tore a hole in the other. Kurumu and Kumiko used their nails and ripped holes in the roof and drop in from above.

Tsukune was looking for a threat. All he found were bodies. Instead of the fight they were expecting, their task was pulling bodies out of the hut for identification.

Once they had the bodies out, all three men and eight naked women wrapped up and stored in body bags, Tsukune got the officers together. Frank stood by Tsukune as they listened to the 'tip' the SDF got from a hiker and his girlfriend. The soldiers who'd talked to the hiker said, "Yes, sir, we met them, down the southeast side of the mountain here. We stopped them, and they told us where they'd been, and said they saw someone up this way. The man said he thought he heard a scream, but couldn't tell where it came from."

"And he pointed you this way?" Frank asked

"Yes, almost directly to the cabin."

Frank nodded at the men's bodies."None of those are Bernd Larson, they are his disposable henchmen. Inside, I found a hair dye package and a contact lens. I am sure that hiker you talked to was Bernd Larson." Frank then looked at Tsukune and said, "I can track him."

Tsukune told the soldiers, "Show Frank where you met him." He then said to the others,"Liz, go with Frank. Kumiko, keep a watch over them. Kurumu! Collect the dragons and keep a VERY close watch on the roads. Mizore, shadow Frank, don't let them get surprised."

As Tsukune gave orders, so did the senior SDF officer to his men. "All right! Our suspect is a tall man with dark hair and eyes, and is in the company of an Indian woman, They have a four hour lead. That means at a normal walking sped, they could be up to two kilometers away from the point of last contact. Set up a picket two and a half kilometers from the last point, trail and road blocks go out to five kilometers! Let's get this guy contained, MOVE!"

.

Bernd walked along easy, just a hiker out with his main squeeze. His main squeeze grabbed his arm and jerked on it.

"Yokai," she said fearfully, and pointed up.

"What in the hell is a 'yokai?" Bernd asked. He looked up and in the sky above, he thought he saw an airplane. Only the airplane was flapping it's wings. "What the fuck," he breathed as he made out a head and long tail. He blinked and watched it continue on, back towards the cabin. Was that a friggin dragon?

"Yokai behind us ... around us," his witch said fearfully. "they are coming."

"There's more of them?" he asked, surprised to see a single dragon.

"Yes, not just dragons. Powerful yokai, determined. I can feel them," she said gazing fearfully behind them.

"Then we better be going," Bernd said, and moved into an easy jog. He jogged on to a stream, then followed the stream downhill.

Bernd went down the stream until he found a pile of washed up rocks. Stepping on only the larger rocks and careful not to disturb them, he went back into the woods and shifted his heading to due east. The boat hidden in a cove was two days away by foot. As long as he could stay ahead of the searchers, he'd make it. He still had to wonder how they had found him at all.

"Scry!" the witch said as she quickly made some motions over her head. "She sees! The Raven has seen us!"

Bernd knew what his witch could do, but not how she did it. "So, they have a witch too," he mussed. How they had found him now made sense. Time to leave a surprise for that witch. He walked quickly along, not bothering to try and hide his tracks. Scrutinizing the landscape, he found what he was looking for. Bernd led his witch towards a thicket of bushes. He found a way through the thicket, and paused in the middle. He pulled the grenade he had and made a trip wire across his trail, and concealed it with loose rock and some dead leaves. He walked a short ways further, then pointed to a spot visible from where the tripwire was.

Showing his witch the backside of a smaller bush, he said, "Make illusions of us, right here."

His witch used a few branches and cast her spells, showing them sitting behind the bush, huddled together.

Bernd nodded, anyone who could track them this far would be good, and cautious. They would be looking at the illusions, and not see the tripwire. "Let them chase us," he said with a grin, and continued on.

Bernd and his witch came to a trail. Watching from cover, he noted soldiers patrolling. He pointed the men out to her. "I want you to give them some suggestions. They will be our guards and the ones they are looking for are the Yokai."

"Yes, Master."

.

It didn't take Frank long to pick up Larson's trail. For a while, him and his witch had walked along at an easy pace. They stopped in one spot for a moment, maybe deciding on a direction, then moved off with longer steps. Maybe they thought they had been spotted. Frank studied the ground and Liz kept a watch around them, studying their surroundings. Larson walked into a stream as if this would hide his movements. Frank studied the disturbed bottom and watched carefully for where they came ashore. The rocky bank still held drying prints from their exit from the stream, and a couple rocks were overturned.

Right behind Frank, Liz also kept looking out for Kumiko above them. In this open area, she saw Kumiko fly by, and pointed out their new direction. Kumiko flew on ahead, searching the ground below.

"He's getting sloppy," Frank noted, and walked along faster.

"Or he set up an ambush," Liz replied as she searched for any signs of such.

Liz became more wary as they approached a long thicket of bushes. Frank followed the trail into a thin area of the ground cover. Liz felt something odd. She grabbed Frank's shoulder and said ,"Stop."

Frank immediately crouched down. "What is it?"

Liz shook her head. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right."

They both studied the area looking for any sign of a person on the ground on in the trees around them. Frank began to move forward slowly, his senses peaked, pistol in hand. Standing, and ready to react, the feeling Liz had that something wasn't right grew. She wished she knew what it was.

"There," Frank whispered.

Liz looked in the direction Frank was looking. After a few seconds, she saw what he did. One bush looked too full for it's size, and slowly, she made out the outlines of people behind the bush. The feeling something was wrong grew stronger.

Liz put a hand on Frank's shoulder. "Let me go first, I think it's a trap," she whispered.

Noting how thick the ground cover was to the sides, Frank could easily see how traps could be set up all around them. He wasn't thrilled about going straight ahead, but even if they just got tangled up in the heavy brush, they would be greatly disadvantaged if it came down to a firefight.

Frank nodded, and took aim at the bush where the figures were. If the ones behind that bush even moved a muscle, they were toast.

Liz walked slowly and quietly, staying low and scrutinizing the landscape for threats. The ones behind the bush didn't move at all, which seemed very odd. She cover half the distance, close enough now to see these people were their targets. Still, it all seemed very odd. She took another tentative step forward.

Click

The metallic noise was soft, and right where she was. Liz looked down to see a small metal ring with a pin beside a few rocks that were piled around a leave covered center, right by her feet. That was all that registered before the grenade exploded.

Frank instinctively ducked as the blast sent rock flying in all directions. Liz flew to the side like a broken rag doll. When he looked up, he didn't see Liz. The figures were gone from behind the bush.

"Liz!" Frank called, not attempting to be quiet. He then noticed red painted brush to the left of where Liz had been. Blood.

"LIZ!" Frank cried and ran over to find Liz was lying tangled in a bush, limp. Her leg as well as her hip was ripped open. Her whole right side was bloodied and dripping red, part of her cheek had been torn open to the bone. "No, not Liz," Frank croaked. He pulled Liz out of the bush and laid her flat. Her clothes were already ruined. He ripped the rest of her pant leg off and wrapped the worst wounds, the outside of her left leg that was showing meat and dripping blood in a steady stream.

Frank tied her pant leg bandage in place, then took his shirt off and ripped that up to bandage her side. The inside of her arm was missing skin also.

"Frank?" Liz asked, barely audible.

"Just lie still, conserve your strength," he told her as he took off his undershirt and looked for a stick to put a tourniquet on her arm. He Had to stop all this bleeding!

"It's OK, Frank," she said with a weak smile.

"It's not OK," Frank said with a shuddering breath. His Liz was drying right before his eyes.

"I die for you," Liz whispered, "My only regret ... not making love..." and her eyes drifted shut.

"NO, You're not going to die!" Frank barked. "Stay with me here. LIZ! you're gonna make it ... LIZ!"

Kumiko landed beside him. On her cell phone, she was saying, "Yeah, she's hurt bad. We need help now!... OK, I'll watch for them." To Frank, she said, "Help is coming, Frank."

Frank wasn't listening. He stared at Liz who's blood was everywhere. His Liz that was so loyal, who he had done everything with the past five years. Who has just died for him. Who he would never be able to tell her, or show her how much he loved her. He would never see her smile again.

Other people would have broken down into a crying fit or be overcome in shock or rage. Frank digressed deep into battle mode. He knew he was on the right track. Larson would expect them to stop and tend to their wounded or dead, letting him get farther away.

That wasn't going to happen. Frank drew Liz's katana from the sheath, "Kimiko, stay with her," he said hoarsely. He got up and kept on the trail. The lust for battle filled him, He moved faster, his senses peaked. He was going to find Larson and destroy him. Not in a rage, but with cold, calculating skill. And very slowly.

.

Tsukune was tracking Frank's movements on a map. He had the SDF officer concentrate more men to the east. The way it looked now, Larson was trying to head for either the single road through this area, or beyond to the coast. Liz had been caught in an explosion. Ruby took Moka to the scene through a portal. Tsukune called for a medic helicopter with lots of blood to get there as fast as possible. Liz was going to need it.

This was not turning out like Tsukune had thought it would. Larson was slippery, and chasing him was causing casualties. There was no way Tsukune could let him get away. At the moment, keeping a close eye on Frank and moving reinforcements to try and block Larson was the most he could do to. It was frustrating.

"Mr Aono, sir?" an SDF Captain said as he came up. "The police found that Bernd Larson was going by Edward Gates. He runs the incinerator power plant to the north. The company has a helicopter. We have it impounded, he's not leaving with that," the man said proudly.

Tsukune pointed to the map. "Larson is head east. Search the road for any hidden vehicles. Also, check the coastline to the east of that. Find out if he's ever bought a boat or another helicopter. A guy like this will not have only a single escape route. He has another. Find it."

"Yes, Mr. Aono."

Tsukune would like nothing more than to go after this scum bag himself and rip him apart. As much as he hated the fact, he was doing more by keeping track of events and guiding the hunt.

.

Bernd felt pushed. Not that anyone was behind him that he knew, but with the constant overhead flights of helicopters and the occasional dragon, he could just feel them closing in on him. His witch was getting tired. She clung to his arm to hold herself up as they walked along.

She was slowing him down, and time was critical. If they didn't already know where he was, that grenade going off let whoever was after him know which way he was going. It was time to try another feign. He stopped and found a log to rest at. "We're taking a break," he said, and pulled his pack off.

"Thank you, Master," the witch said in a tired breath.

As she rested, Bernd wished he had more grenades. He didn't even have any gas canisters. Just his pistol and a long knife. Letting out a huff, he thought hard. It appeared he only had one option left. "We're surrounded," he said flatly. "Can you do another illusion?"

The witch shook her head. "I have no energy left, Master. I am sorry."

"So am I," he said sincerely. He took his knife and slammed it into her chest, right into her heart. The witch gapped at him. He gave a twist and yanked the knife out. She collapsed at his feet. He moved before her blood spilled on him. "I am really sorry," he told her corpse.

Bernd put his pack back on and moved south then turned and went west, following his own trail off to the side. He wanted to see if anyone was following him before he headed south.

.

The men Frank met on the path were of no help at all. According to them, they were looking for yokai. Frank didn't waste time with them. He picked up the trail again and followed it east. Wary of another ambush, Frank walked along shifting his gaze between the ground and the area around him.

A feeling, a sixth sense told him to look off to his right. Sixty yards away, a dark haired man peeked out from behind a tree and aimed at him. Frank flung himself backwards in a twist as the man shot. The bullet grazed his shoulder. No big deal. He laid still, listening, expecting to hear footsteps.

Nothing.

Frank drew his pistol left handed crawled over behind a tree and peaked out. Looking over the sights, he studied the tree and to the sides. The man had taken cover. This area was wooded mostly with tall pines. Dead branches littered the ground, but none large enough to hide behind. The needles on the ground made walking quiet. "Larson, you're a dead man!" Frank shouted.

No response. No movement. Frank considered his options, and what he would do if he were in Larson's place. He studied the tree Larson had shot from carefully. He scanned the full height of the tree, then the one to the left. Not seeing anything abnormal, he shifted to the one to the right, peeking out a bit more.

Movement caught Frank's eye. A shape ran from behind one tree to another. Frank shot, hitting only bark. Seeing where Larson went, Frank ran to another tree then peeked out enough to aim. He noted an angular bulge sticking out. Taking careful aim, he shot.

A short yelp of pain told him he hit. Larson came out from the right side of the tree, aiming left handed he shot at Frank hitting the bark right in front of Frank's face. Frank shot at the same time.

Stung by the flying bits of wood, Frank recoiled and tried to clear his vision. He did hear footsteps now. Running footsteps. Frank spun and aimed through his watery vision. He saw movement and shot until his gun was empty. Not being able to see, he took cover and wiped his eyes out, blinking rapidly.

.

Bernd ran through the woods, holding his bleeding elbow. His gun was useless, that fucker had hit the trigger guard and took off his index finger. He had no choice but to run. Although he was wounded, he still had his senses. He knew anyone who hear those shots would be coming pronto. Thankfully in woods, unless you were close, it was hard to tell where a shot came from. He ran downhill, then shifted east again though a thick copse of pine. He was sure he had at least wounded that man. That would give him a tiny bit of breathing room.

Making the road, Bernd looked down the bank to the road and saw a cop car. Barely visible up the road was an army truck, another cop car was visible down the road on the other side of the one below him. Police and soldiers were all over the road.

"Fuck," Bernd spat quietly. His escape route was cut off. He faded back into the woods. Bernd walked in the woods heading south, parallel to the road and watching carefully for anyone around him. He kept telling himself as long as he kept cool, he'd make it out of here.

After an hour of walking, Bernd risked another peek at the road. Still patrolled, the patrols in sight of each other. He grinned. They really wanted him pretty bad, didn't they?

This reminded him of that time in Norway. After posing as police and snagging a bus load of tasty looking cheerleaders, the Norse authorities and people had hunted him relentlessly. Two men got caught, another two chose to go down shooting it out. The three finest girls he'd dragged along with him. Making it to a fiord, he managed to hide his catch and hide in the woods. He'd had to survive on pine for food and snow for water. It had been a long two months, but he managed to escape. Unfortunately, the girls were found, dead. He really hated it when fine young pussy was wasted.

Walking back deeper into the woods, Bernd looked for a good tree to settle into for the night. As he searched for a good, thick bowed pine, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his calf that drove him to his knees. He turned to face the one behind him.

Behind him a stone faced young man with cuts on his face swung his katana again.

.

Frank had found Larson and shadowed him. It took a while to get close, but he wasn't about to share this kill with anyone. Larson was his. Managing to get in front of him, Frank waited quietly on a branch above the ground. After Larson walked by, Frank eased himself down, and matching the man's steps, came up from behind and stabbed him low in the leg.

Frank's next cut was the top of Larson's right arm. As Larson recoiled, he slashed the left.

"Stop!" Larson pleaded as he tried to back away. "I'll give you everything I got!"

"I want my Liz and father back, you son of a bitch!," Frank stated. Lunging forward, he slashed Larson across the throat, just deep enough to ruin his voicebox. Larson clapped a hand over his bleeding throat and tried to beg again, spitting up blood. As he tried to protect his throat, Frank cut low and hard, ripping across the belly. Larson cried out in a hiss of blood as he fell prone and his guts appeared.

Frank watched Larson squirm on the ground, his eyes bulging in pain and fear. The man held on for quite a while. Long enough for Ruby to appear, sporting her multiple black wings.

Ruby looked down on the drying man. She then told Frank, "Finish him."

"He deserves pain," Frank said in a hollow tone.

"You are like him then?" Ruby asked in a hard tone. "Not caring about what you do to others? Is this the real you?"

Frank eyed her.

"If it is," Ruby continued, "Then I will finish him, and then you. I will not suffer a sadist to live, and I sure as hell don't want your kind around Kumko or Elizabeth."

"Liz is dead," Frank stated heavily.

Ruby shook her head. "Elizabeth is badly hurt, but we did save her. Vampires are quite tough, you know. Now, make your choice," she said firmly.

"Liz is alive?" Frank asked.

"Yes," Ruby said and poised her wand. "Choose, before I choose for you."

Frank looked down on Larson. The man was barely breathing, and his eyes were vacant. Frank kicked him onto his back and drove the Katana through his heart. He pulled it free and looked at Ruby. "I do not enjoy making someone suffer. He had it coming," he stated.

"I will not dispute that," Ruby replied. "But such acts soil your soul."

"My soul is already ... soiled."

"Poor excuse. You can change if you want to. I've known others who did horrid things and thought they were not redeemable. They were wrong. You can be redeemed, Frank. You can put your past behind you, where it belongs. If you don't," Ruby said and pointed at Larson's body, "You will end up like that one at your feet. I know two people that will be devastated if that happens. Do you wish to hurt them also?"

Ruby then jumped in the air and flew away, giving Frank much to think about.


	4. Chapter 4

**NOTE : A special thanks to Ravenking 64 for his help coming up with the OC's Frank and Liz**

CH 43

Liz looked more like a mummy than a vampire as Kumiko and Frank carried her back to her room on a stretcher. Wrapped completely in bandages from head to toe, except for her eyes, nose and lips, one would thing she had just been brought from the tombs of Egypt. Akemi followed them, and when they had the stretcher beside Liz's bed, Akemi used her mind hands to carefully lift Liz up and into the bed.

"She is going to be very hungry when she wakes up," Akemi said. "I'll go get her some blood." She took off the gun belt and handed it to Frank. "This is yours."

"Thank you," Frank said, and took it as he watched Liz.

Kumiko took hers off and put it on Liz's dresser. "I'll put those over here," she said.

Frank gave her the gun belt, then disarmed himself. Kumiko somehow managed to get all the weapons piled atop of Liz's dresser without any of them falling on the floor.

"Please take good care of Liz for me," Frank said as he got up, still gazing at her.

Kumiko frowned. "What are you talking about? We are going to take care of her, aren't we?"

Frank cracked a sad smile and said, "Liz deserves you, Kumiko. You are ... good for her."

"What about you?" Kumiko asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Kumiko, I'm not a very nice guy," Frank explained. "It's best I leave her in your hands. I know you will take good care of her."

Kumiko looked at Liz, then Frank. "Hey, what happened was not your fault, it was that bad guy's fault. HE set that bomb, not you."

Frank finally looked at Kumiko. Reverently, he said, "She loves you, and she should. You are a fine person, Kumiko. Take care of her."

"She loves you too," Kumiko countered. "I know she will want you to be here when she wakes up. She counts on you, Frank."

Frank gave a half smile and said, "Ill be gone by then."

He got two striding steps and Kumiko tackled him. Frank struggled to get her off him, but not very hard. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Kumiko. Kumiko did put all her strength into it and pinned him to the floor, sitting on him.

Becoming angry at him, Kumiko looked down into his face and asked in a whine, "Why do you want to leave?"

Trying to think of something that would make her angry enough to kick him out, he said, "I love you too, all right? I want both of you!"

Kumiko blinked. "And?" she asked.

"Don't even tell me you're OK with that," Frank said.

Kumiko chuckled and said, "Uh, Frank? Have you looked around here? I have five mothers. I think I can safely say that that's not a problem. Next you'll be telling me you're a pervert or something."

"I am," Frank stated.

"Really?" Kumiko asked with a big grin. Wiggling her chest, she added in a sultry tone, "My breasts are kind of sore. It would be wonderful if you rub them for me."

That was not the response Frank was hoping for. Right, he was talking to a succubus. "And I want to have you both ... at the same time," he added.

"Wohoo! That will be kinky," Kumiko said with an even bigger grin.

Frustrated at her, Frank yelled, "I DON'T DESERVE EITHER OF YOU!"

"I think we should be the judge of that," Kumiko retorted. Seeing his stern face, she asked, "OK, why do you think you don't deserve us?"

Frank looked away. "Please get off me," he said quietly.

"Right after you tell me why you think you don't deserve us," Kumiko replied.

Frank swallowed. Hoarsely, he said, "Kumiko, please."

Kumiko stared at him for a moment, then said, "I have to do this. Please stay still for a moment."

Frank looked at her, wondering what she was talking about. Then the spade end of her tail slapped down on his forehead.

.

Cabin Aono that Kashiro had built with help from his friends had become 'fortress' Aono. Although it was forbidden to reveal what kind of yokai you were at school, the cabin was off school grounds. Tsukune's warning of possible trouble was taken seriously. The girls pulled out all the stops to protect the home they had built, along with Kashiro and his 'political bride to be'.

Namiri, who was a fox demon, took charge of their home defense and ringed the area with a spell that would warn her if anyone who didn't belong came within two hundred meters of their cabin.

Belle was assigned night lookout, seeing that she was a Raven, a huge crow that took people's souls to the afterlife. Perched atop the roof in her Raven form, she could sleep and react quickly to any intruders. Belle also had no qualms about pulling someone's soul out of their body even if they weren't dead yet (which would kill them), to protect her home.

The blue girl with the dark blue hair, Lotti, was a child of the Thunder Gods, and slept in the room closest to the stairs on the first floor. When she changed into her yokai form, her hair turned white and her skin paled to a very light blue. She could also throw lightning bolts that would make large trees explode where she hit them.

The sisters Setzu and Shizu, were in fact hornet yokai, and had stingers that held lethal poison. In their yokai form, they were rather bad-tempered also. Nested in the other first floor bedroom, they took turns with Lotti sitting up at night in the large common room, just in case Namiri's warning spell didn't work.

Namiri also arraigned to be Kashiro's partner for their Student Police rounds. They had both passed all their tests and Kashiro was made a corporal to assist the night Sargent. Not happy that Kashiro and Namiri were spending so much time together, Kaiyo also enrolled in the Student Police force to keep an eye on them. Unfortunately, she was not on Kashiro's patrol schedule, and ended up seeing less of him.

Every morning, Kashiro and Kaiyo were escorted to school by their band of 'guards'.

If things were not getting crazy enough, Kashiro was called into the Student Council President's office. He went in to find Captain Nog sitting behind the desk. Vice Captain Ahsan was standing to the side.

"Ah, Corporal Aono! Good to see you!" Nog said with a smile.

"Captain," Kashiro replied. "Are you the Student Council President also?"

"Sharp boy, sharp boy!" Nog said approvingly. "I have some great news for you, Corporal Aono. It seems like that house you build out in the woods has become a popular idea. Talking with the school Administrators, we think students living in their own houses would help them become more familiar with human society. You do come from a place where humans live, correct?"

"Yes, sir, I know many humans," Kashiro said, wondering what he was getting at.

"Perfect!" Nog said brightly. "Since you and you future wife are so familiar with humans, the council and the school Administrators have asked me to tell you that we are building a village to resemble a human town. You are named the Chief Planner, and will be responsible for security of this village."

"Thank you ... whoa, what?" Kashiro asked as he gapped at Nog.

"And since you will have all that responsibility, I'm making you the Vice Student Police Captain in charge of the Student village," Nog said with a grand gesture. 'So plan on a Police Station when you give your plans to the constructions crews. The success or failure of this project belongs to you."

"My plans?" Kashiro asked weakly.

"Yes, your plans. Who better to plan a human style village than someone who has lived with humans? Of course, this means that all school rules will be applied to the village limits, which happen to border the official school grounds, and will extend to just past that wonderful house you built."

Kashiro stared at him.

"He's overcome with joy," Ahsan said with a grin.

Clapping his meaty hands together, Nog said, "Now, Vice Captain Aono, you have two months to plan the village. That is when the crews will be coming to begin construction. And by the way, your father contacted the school. That threat has been found and eliminated, you and your future bride can rest easy."

"Thank you for telling me, Sir," Kashiro said vacantly. HE was suppose to plan an entire village? He didn't even get his own cabin right!

"Great! We will be looking forward to see the results of your wonderful work! Dismissed, Vice Captain Aono."

Kashiro bowed and left to call his Mama Moka. He needed help.

.

At lunch time, Namiri was upset that she didn't make it to their table in time. Kaiyo was on one side of Kashiro, and Belle was on the other. As she approached, Belle stuck her tongue out at her. Not to be left out, Namiri put her tray down across from Kashiro and cast him a bright smile.

"Vice Captain Aono!" she said proudly, "I have made sign up sheets for people interested in living in the Student Village for the girls and the boys' dorms. That should give us an idea of how big this village needs to be."

"Good idea," Kashiro agreed. He then asked, "Suppose everyone does? That may be a lot of houses."

"True, BUT, I made limitations on who can get a house," Namiri told him with a sly grin. "First is decent grades. Second, they have to sign up in a groups of two to four ..."

Kaiyo interrupted her by asking, "Who said you get to make the conditions? This is Kashiro's project."

"It is," Belle agreed.

"Just be a good political wife, and be seen and not heard," Namiri said haughtily.

Kaiyo slammed her fists on the table as she shot up and yelled, "I am NOT just a political wife!" Which made everyone in the cafeteria turn to stare at her.

"Are too," Belle said.

"OK STOP!" Kashiro barked. "Kaiyo, sit down, please. Namiri, Kaiyo will be my wife, get that through your head. Did you post these yet?"

"No, I need your approval, Vice Captain," Namiri said, then added with a blush, "We can look over them at home, say by the fireplace?"

"Namiri," Kaiyo growled, glaring at her.

"I made a street plan and by the fireplace is a good spot for you to look at them," Belle said as she snuggled up against Kashiro and gazed at him. "I can put them on your lap, then kneel down in front of you and explain," she coaxed as her cheeks turned pink.

Seeing these other girls doing their best to help Kashiro as well as flirt with him, Kaiyo felt left out, so she announced, "I will direct the construction crews to make sure they build the houses and streets like KASHIRO wants them done!"

Namiri cast her a smirk. "You mean the real wives make the plans, and you just follow through with them."

Turning red in anger, Kaiyo growled, "Why you ..."

"Enough!" Kashiro begged loudly. Knowing he had to do something to stop this bickering, he said, "Look, I appreciate if you want to help. Namiri, you do have a good idea, you too, Belle. BUT before anything is done, Kaiyo and I will review the plans and make changes as we see fit."

Just as Kaiyo gave a satisfied nod, Namiri waved her hand in a dismissive gesture and said, "Well I suppose the political wife should do something."

"And stop calling Kaiyo a 'political' wife!" Kashiro snapped.

"Yes," Belle agreed. "She is important too."

"Kaiyo is very important to me, so drop it," Kashiro told her firmly as he mentally cursed his father for telling them that.

Kaiyo had lost her appetite, and wanted badly just to get away from these other girls. To do so meant they would be here with Kashiro. That was not going to happen. She stayed in place, suffering through lunch.

.

After lunch, Kashiro and Kaiyo somehow managed to loose the others. Lotti fell in step with Namiri and Belle.

"Hi, have either of you seen Kashiro?" Lotti asked, holding a roll of paper in her hand.

"We had him, we lost him," Belle said.

"What's that?" Namiri asked.

Lotti held up the roll and said, "We worked out a new water system. If there's going to be a town, everyone will need water, right?"

"True," Namiri said as he mind worked. "Say Lotti, Kashiro and I have the early afternoon patrol, I can make sure he gets them."

Lotti handed the roll over to her. "Thanks, Namiri."

Belle eyed Namiri, then snatched the papers away. "You're not taking the credit," she said.

"Hey! Give those back," Namiri complained. Belle extended her arm to the side, keeping them out of her reach as Namiri tried to grab them back. They danced around in a circle, Namiri lunging for the roll, and Belle keeping them out of her reach. Belle put the papers behind her back. Knowing she had her now, Namiri wrapped her arms around Belle to get the papers.

"Patrolman Takahashi!" Vice Captain Ahsan said as he came up to them. "You know well that affection is not to be displayed in the school, stop that!" he said sternly.

Namiri let go and faced him. "It's not like that, Vice Captain, she has drawings for the new student village," she said, pointing at Belle.

Ahsan held is hand out and asked, "May I see?"

Belle handed him the papers. He rolled them out and nodded. "Very good work Belle. I'll see to it Vice Captain Aono gets these," he said and walked off with them.

Belle stuck her tongue out at Namiri and skipped her way to class.

.

Akemi was happy Mama Moka had planned for Liz's recovery. The cooler she carried held twenty five packs of blood. Atop the cooler was a small warming oven to reheat the blood back up to body temperature. Akemi was glad Aunt Lucy had given her these temporary mind hands, she was able to open and shut doors easily while she made her way to up Liz and Kumiko's room, and not have to struggle with the bulk she was carrying and door knobs.

On the way, Akemi wondered how Kashiro and Kaiyo were doing. Even though Kaiyo could be a pain at times, she missed them both. Somehow, things seemed different with them gone. Even though they kinda freaked her out with what they were doing, she wished them the best, and hoped her parents would see fit to let them come home.

Getting to Kumiko and Liz's bedroom, she opened the door with a mind hand, and shut it behind her. She the stopped short. Frank was laid out on the floor on his back, Kumiko was over him. Her arms held his spread out, and her tail was on his forehead. She could see Frank's blank stare. The tears Kumiko shed were dripping down on his face. She couldn't see Kumiko's face due to her hair hanging down, but Kumiko's short breaths told her Kumiko was experiencing something very unpleasant.

"Kumiko?" Akemi asked.

No response.

"Kumiko!" Akemi said a bit louder.

A groan came from the bed. Liz was stirring. Leaving the two on the floor, Akemi set the cooler down, got the oven set up and got a few blood packs into the oven.

"Uuuuh," Liz groan as her red eyes came partway open, and rolled in her head. Akemi grabbed another blood pack and put it to Liz's open mouth. "Here, Liz, feed," she said as she tipped Liz's head up.

Liz bit onto the blood pack and sucked it empty in short order. Akemi got her another one. Glancing at Kumiko and Frank, Akemi wanted to know what was going on with them, but at the moment, Liz needed attention.

.

Kumiko was lost in a nightmare that was Frank's memory. Frank was very young, and had been laid on a table in a white room. He was afraid of that white room. Bad things happened there. The large, glaring light over him was all he could see. The disembodied voices around him spoke as he was strapped in place.

"This won't work unless he's awake?"

"No, we have to have his brain active to study the results."

"Kid's gonna scream like a banshee."

"Can't be helped."

"And if he passes out?"

"They we stop and wait for him to wake up."

A sigh. "Glad I'm not you, kid."

"Let's get this done. The faster we work, the better for him."

Then came the pain of being cut followed by a white hot sensation, and pain filled his being.


	5. Chapter 5

CH 44

Young Frank woke up from his dream of fighting. He remembered every detail of the lucid dream. This time, it had been sword techniques with a katana. He knew now the katana was a slashing weapon. It could stab, but the real power was in the slash. Laminated from a minimum of one hundred seventy five layers of steel, a sharp katana could slice through flesh and bone easily, as well as thin armor with the proper swing. Kevlar was no protection from the katana as Kevlar was made to stop blunt objects like bullets and small knives. A katana wielded in the proper manner had the ability to slash through any Kevlar protection as if it wasn't even there. What gave the katana it's outstanding cutting ability was the razor thin laminations of steel that peeled off in tiny bits when entering a hard object. Instead of working to stop the sword, the tiny bits lubricated the sword to help the sword continue to cut. This also peeled back new layers at the edge, helping the sword to stay sharp. Hardened only on the cutting edge, a katana was also more flexible than other swords, letting it bend instead of break when it was struck. The only known equivalent to the Katana when it was popular with armies, was the Viking sword, Ulfberht, that was also known to chop through other swords and drive through armor.

Removing his sleeping cap that had wires trailing off beyond the bed and into the wall, Frank sat up and rubbed his eyes. He saw the man who took care of him approaching with his breakfast.. A glass of orange juice and a half circle of nutrient laden eggs. He wore the same long white coat over his clothes as always with a front pocket carrying a pen and a tiny screwdriver.

"Morning Frank," he said as he put the plate down on Frank's bed table.

Frank gave a good morning grunt and sat up to eat as the visions of the flashing blade still filled his mind. His brain woke up as he was consuming his breakfast.

"We got a big day today," the man said. "And remember, never hesitate or get weepy. You know what happens when you do."

Frank nodded. If he paused, he was shocked. If he let out a whimper, he was shocked. If he dared cry or refuse to do something, he was shocked until he passed out, then he was made to start over.

Frank was learning to act on command and never, ever show any emotion.

Once Frank was finished with breakfast, he was allowed time to go to the bathroom and get his clothes on, dark gray pants, shirt and sneakers. He was then lead to the activities room. Right inside was a short katana resting on horizontal on a frame, the curve of the blade facing up so as not to dull the cutting edge. Farther in the room were dummies set up in various positions, sitting and standing.

"Frank," came a stern voice over a loudspeaker. "Pick up the sword, make a killing blow on every dummy in front of you as fast as you can. GO!"

Frank pulled the sword, pausing just long enough to get the proper two handed grip. He ran up to the first dummy, sitting facing away from him. Reap the Wheat. He slashed hard at the dummy's neck, putting his whole body into the motion. As that head dropped free, he ran to the next dummy that was bend over at the waist as if picking something up. Down From The Mountain. Raising his sword high, he slashed down, using his whole body to power the swing. That head fell away. He went through the room, slicing heads off, one dummy that had it's arms up to protect it's head, he cut deep across it's middle below the ribs, nearly cutting the dummy in half.

There were two dummys left. He paused, seeing one was made up to look like a woman. Shocks blasted his senses. He kept from screaming out, but he did drop the sword.

"Finish it!" the loudspeaker barked.

Hurriedly, Frank picked his sword back up, got his grip, then sliced off the woman's head, then beheaded the smaller dummy beside it. He was panting from the effort and from the residual pain of the shocks. He found the empty sheath on a frame, and sheathed the sword.

.

Kumiko bore witness to young Frank's daily life – and dreams- of constant training, learning swords, guns, knives, and explosives. In his dreams, Frank learned how various types of walls were constructed. Which ones could stop bullets, which once could be shot through. Except for a few 'dreams' of learning to recognize writing, his days were so packed with combat training there was no room for an actual education. Every now and the he would be sat in a chair to have electrodes put on him to give him mild shocks to force his muscles to grow. Other times, he was given shots. No explanation, just 'hold your arm out'.

At the tender age of seven, Frank suffered a gap in his memory. After going through a shooting course that was a hallway where Frank had to look into each room, shoot whatever dummy was in there, then quickly go the the next room and repeat the process. Right after that, Frank was heading out on a mission in the back seat of the SUV.

Kumiko had to search deep to find that missing memory. She felt Frank's mind trying to block it. Working past the block, she found Frank armed with a silenced pistol outside and watching a room through a window. A figure's head appeared. Conditioned, he took aim and shot. As the figure fell, Frank noticed blood on the far wall. He'd made a perfect head shot. On a real person. Surprised it wasn't a dummy, Frank went to the broken window and saw a man lying on the floor, his blood spreading out in a large pool.

"Do not look, escape!" commanded a speaker. Stunned he had killed someone, Frank moved too slow. Electric agony filled him. He screamed until he passed out.

Kumiko suffered through Frank's training to become nothing but a weapon, then going out to kill targets. No one would suspect a seven year old walking down the street to pull a pistol and make a perfect between the eyes shot on some man, then walk around the corner to get picked up. Who would think a small clump of bushes could hide anyone with a sniper rifle as he waited for his target. Or suspect the boy who was eating a hamburger and fries in the park, as being the assassin.

No emotion, no remorse, just eliminate the target. Frank had one final 'test' of his ability and loyalty. Armed with a silenced 9mm and his katana, he was told to go through the course and kill everyone there.

The first thing Frank noticed upon entering the building was the white room that had caused him so much agony.

Then a memory skip as he walked away, a paper gripped tight in his fist.

Kumiko had to dig hard to uncover this memory. Frank cringed, desperately trying to bury it even as Kumiko drug it up. His attempts were no match for her succubi powers. She witnessed the memory he ws suppressing.

Someone was in the white operating room, their back to Frank as they typed on a computer. Save ammo and be silent for as long as possible. Frank quietly holstered his pistol and drew his katana. Reap the Wheat. The person's head fall forward, the body shooting blood from the neck stump toppled onto the floor.

Frank moved to walk out. A woman appeared in the doorway. Her jaw dropped. Frank didn't hesitate, he stabbed her in the throat to keep her quiet. Her hands went to her spurting neck. Reap the Wheat across her belly. Her guts spilled out as she dropped to her knees and bent over. Down From the Mountain, her head rolled away as her body collapsed.

Room by room, Frank managed to sneak up and kill six other people. He then came to a shut office door. No chance of being quiet, but he'd visited every other room. Pulling his pistol, he opened the door and looked for targets over his gun sights. Behind a desk, a man looked up at him.

Bang. The man's head flew back as his brains spattered against the window behind him. His body fell limp to the floor.

Only after Frank killed him, did he realize who it was. The man who had taken care of him. The one who made sure he was fed and did his best to help Frank through his rough spots and give him advice. The only one who had given Frank any comfort at all.

Frank walked over to the body. He didn't even know who the man was, only that Frank owed him a lot. And he'd just killed him. Turning away from the body, Frank saw a paper on the desk. He picked it up. It was a list of names. The ones who were running this experiment of creating a young assassin. These were the men who had ordered Frank to come here, to kill the one who was the closest thing to a father Frank ever knew.

Steeling himself against rising emotions, Frank impressed the names in his mind. Crumpling the paper in his fist, Frank decided he had new targets, and not one was going to escape.

Walking out of the building, Frank found a car waiting for him. He opened the door and shot the two men inside. He dragged them out and found their wallets. Two down, twelve to go.

Learning how to drive a car in emergency situations, Frank took the car back to the place he'd started from. He didn't drive right up to the building, but assessed the target from a distance. They were in there. There were two men out front, guards. The range was long for a pistol. The ground was too flat and smooth for a stealthy approach. Deception was required. Frank drove the car off the road into some bushes, then ran to the house at an easy jog.

Walking quickly up the driveway, Frank waved to the guards. They had their hands on the guns under their jackets, but didn't draw. As he got closer, Frank motioned behind him. "The men who took me to my mission are dead," he said in his blank tone.

"What happened?" one guard asked.

"They were shot while they were waiting for me," Frank explained.

The guards turned to each other. "We have to tell ..."

Frank drew his pistol and fired. Bang. Bang. Two shots in quick succession silenced their discussion.

The silenced pistol made a quiet, high pitched whoosh noise as Frank had expertly dropped them both with clean head shots and continued on into the house. This was just another mission. Kill everyone inside.

Just as he had previously, Frank went room to room. Coming inside there was a man dressed as a butler. Bang. In a sitting room were two men with their arms around their women. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Seeing the slide stay back, Frank released the clip and slapped a new one in place. The kitchen was empty, as was another room. Making a circle back to the stairs, a girl not much older than him was coming down. Bang.

Frank stepped over the body who's face wore a shocked look as she lay staining the carpet of the stairs red. No emotion, just perform the mission. A maid came to the top of the steps. Bang. He searched upstairs, but didn't find anyone else. Coming back down, he checked the men's wallets. Two more names were down.

Frank knew he'd need money. He emptied their wallets then went out and rummaged the guard's bodies for cash. He walked away with $1257, enough to eat for a while while he hunted the others down.

.

Unintentionally, a shudder from Kumiko made her tail drop off Frank's forehead. Frank gasped as Kumiko cried over him. Dropping to lie against him, she held him tight as she cried.

Not knowing what else to do, Frank put his arms around her. He remembered now. It wasn't those men on the list who'd killed his father, it was him. For some reason, he teared up he thought about what he did, as well as the fact Kumiko now knew everything.

"Frank, I'm so sorry," Kumiko whined as she cried.

Frank tried to keep his voice even, showing no emotion. It wasn't working this time. He truly felt like crying, his voice cracked as he said, "Not your fault. I did it. I'm to blame. You see why I don't deserve you."

"My whole life has been like that," he said, barely holding in his own tears. "When I found Liz, I saw her only as another weapon. Something to get an edge on the ones I was after."

Lifting up, Kumiko wiped her nose and palmed the tears from her eyes. "Do you see her like that now?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"No. Liz deserves better than me. I'm nothing more than a heartless killing machine."

Kumiko shook her head. "You're wrong. If that were true, Liz would not be in love with you. If that were true, the sight of Liz lying there passed out and bleeding would have meant nothing to you. Frank, those men made you like that." Her face screwing up in anger, she added, "They did horrid things to you. I agree they all deserve to die, but not just because they made you kill your father. They tried to destroy YOU, Frank! They wanted you to become nothing more than a zombie for their uses. If you hate then half as much as I do, then you will break free of what they did to you. Stop running! You have support here, let us take care of you." softer, she said, "It's OK to cry, it's OK to show emotions. Even if you kill them all, you will never defeat them unless you do."

Kumiko then petted the sides of his face, wiping his tears away. "Please, stay here, we need you."

A pitiful, hollow cry of, "MORE!" came from the bed.

Kumiko sat up farther to see Liz was half sitting up as Akemi was getting blood packs from a small warming oven. "Frank, Liz is awake, she needs our help!" Kumiko cried and got up, hauling Frank to his feet also.

Hearing Liz's pitiful moan, Frank rushed over to her. He held her up as Akemi and Kumiko kept the blood packs coming. After another fifteen, Liz quieted down. With her wrapped up hand, she grabbed Frank's arm and leaned back into him. Almost immediately, she fell back asleep.

Akemi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for helping. I have to get some things done, please stay with her," she said.

Frank nodded. Liz was leaned into him. Even in her sleep, she was maintaining her grip on his arm.

Kumiko watched Akemi leave, then said, "I think we should take turns. You can sleep in Kaiyo's bed tonight. Liz is going to be hungry again when she wakes up."

"I'll take the first watch. Get some rest," Frank told her.

Kumiko nodded. She took her nightgown into the bathroom to get changed.

Holding Liz in his arms, Frank thought about what Ruby has said and what Kumiko had told him. Liz was alive, and lying here in his arms counting on him to help her recover. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. He almost said, "I do love you, Liz.". He held back. After all she wouldn't even hear him.

.

Akemi had heard every word of Kumiko and Frank's conversation on the floor. She didn't know any details, but by how Kumiko was acting, she really didn't want to know. She did the only thing she knew would help them. She went straight to Papa to tell him everything that happened.

Unfortunately, when she got to Papa's study, the door was locked and soft cooie sounds were coming from within. It sounded like Mama Kurumu. She then heard Mama Moka say in a silky tone, "Save some for me."

Akemi backed away from the door and decided to tell him later.

.

Liz awoke sore and holding something. Looking at the smooth bare legs in front of her eyes, she pulled back to see she had been lying with her head on Kumiko's lap. Kumiko was in her frilly white nightgown.

Kumiko smiled at her and asked, "Hey, sleepy head. Hungry?"

"Very," Liz admitted.

Kumiko got up and got two packs of blood from the warming oven and handed Liz one. "There's plenty more, all you want," she assured Liz.

Liz drain the one pack, then the other as Kumiko put more blood into the warmer. Awake and feeling stiff and sore, she asked, "The last thing I remember is being in the woods. What happened?"

"You got blown up," Kumiko told her. "It tore you up pretty bad, but you'll recover in time."

"Liz," Frank said groggily as he sat up in the bed beside hers. Stumbling up, he forced himself awake. "I'll get you some," he said, then noticed Liz already had a blood pack in her hands, and Kumiko had refilled the warming oven. "Anything I can do?" he asked.

Liz gazed at him. "Thank you for being here," she said.

"I got it, you can get some more sleep," Kumiko told him. "It'll be morning in a few hours."

Frank shifted in place. "What if Liz needs something?" he asked.

"Frank? If you're worried, you can sleep here next to me. I'll wake you if I need anything," Liz offered.

"Aren't you hurt?"

"I am. I feel like I've been run over by a tank. But it's still nice to have someone close by," Liz told him. Lifting the covers to show her entire body was wrapped up in bandages, she added, "I kinda look like it too, huh?"

Frank sat on her bed. "I was afraid you didn't make it," he offered.

"You look beat, Frank. Lie down here and get some rest," Liz said, and patted the bed beside her.

"Just don't go getting perverted, at least until she's healed, " Kumiko said with a crooked grin.

Frank eyed Kumiko and asked, "YOU are calling ME a pervert?"

Kumiko shrugged. "You're the one who said you were," she reminded him.

Liz eyed Frank. Quickly, Frank told her, "I didn't mean that, I just wanted her to get off me," he said quickly.

Liz shifted her unhappy gaze to Kumiko.

Kumiko threw her hands up and said, "He's the one who said he wanted us both."

"I just wanted to get you off me!" Frank stated.

"Telling me you want me is not the way to do that," Kumiko countered.

"Just WHAT have you two been doing?" Liz asked in a stressed tone.

Letting out a huff, Kumiko said, "I was just getting to know Frank."

"It's not like it sounds," Frank said to Liz in his own defense.

Liz eyed Frank. "Maybe you'd rather sleep with Kumiko?" she asked in a hard tone.

"Don't worry, Liz, he wants to sleep with you too," Kumiko offered.

"Kumiko, SHUT UP!" Frank snapped as his face colored with embarrassment.

Liz turned her red-eyed glare to her feet. "If someone could get me another blood pack ... I really want to BITE something right now!"

.

The room became quiet. Kumiko went into the bathroom to get cleaned up and dressed. Frank sat by Liz, not looking at her. Liz studied her feet. She was becoming uncomfortable sitting up. When she moved and tried to lay down, Frank quickly assisted her.

Usually, Frank didn't mind silence. At the moment it felt like the air in the room was becoming thick. He knew Liz was angry, and it was because of him. He felt he had to explain himself. "Liz, I said a lot of things to Kumiko, trying to get her off me. I know, I could have just thrown her off, but I don't want to hurt her."

Liz stared at the ceiling.

"She was stopping me from leaving," Frank explained. "And I said things I though would make her kick me out. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect." Looking down, he added, "Kumiko wanted to know why I insisted on leaving. I wouldn't tell her, so she used that tail of hers and read my mind. That's all that happened, really. You woke up and needed blood, we got it for you. That's all that happened."

"Is that what Kumiko will tell me?" Liz asked in a far away voice. She knew that Kumiko told the truth, no matter how embarrassing it was.

"I'm sure she will go into much greater detail," Frank said with a sigh. "But yeah, she will."

Liz was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Did we get him?"

"We got him."

"Good."

There was another moment of silence, then Liz said, "I'm tired. I'm going back to sleep."

Frank waited until Kumiko came back out, then went to his own room to get cleaned up and ready for the day. He hadn't done anything wrong, yet he still felt like he had.

.

Liz feigned sleep so she wouldn't have to talk to Kumiko. Kumiko didn't go back to sleep, she stayed up doing things in the room and keeping a watch over Liz. The thought of Kumiko on top of Frank made Liz angry, as did the fact Kumiko had apparently done it to keep Frank from leaving. She should be angry at Frank, not Kumiko. Kumiko was doing everything possible to help her, yet if she had the strength, she would have gotten up and kicked Kumiko into the next room!

It was that unreasonable anger again, and unlike Kumiko had told her, she didn't think it was because she was a vampire. It was something else. Despite being upset, Liz did drift off.

.

"Morning," Minori said as she wheeled in a cart with a covered dish.

Liz opened her eyes to see the rounded silver cover on the cart. Minori wheeled the cart over by the bed. She noticed neither Frank nor Kumiko were here.

"Since you can't come down for breakfast, breakfast is coming to you," Minori explained with a smile. "Would you like to sit up, dear?"

Liz nodded and struggled to sit up. Minori got pillows, building them up behind her for support.

"I know you need blood, but you also need food," Minori explained sweetly. "Take your time, but please do eat as much as you can." Minori then laid a cloth on Liz's lap and moved the tray, extending the top so it was right in front of Liz. She took the cover off the expose the plate of scrambled eggs and fish, and a cup of fruit and a glass of orange juice.

"Orange, not grapefruit?" Liz asked with a smirk, remembering her failed staring contest.

Minori chuckled. "Yes, it's orange. I can get grapefruit, if you like." Reaching for Liz's hands, she said, "Let me unwrap you a bit, dear. I think Kimiko went a bit too far with the bandages."

"Kumiko did this?" Liz asked, holding up her mummified hands.

"So says Ruby. Apparently, Kumiko was very upset when she called for help. Ruby gave her a never ending roll of bandage material, and she just kept going," Minori said with a smirk. "After breakfast, we'll take a look at what you actually need."

Liz expected to watch Minori unwrap her normal looking hands. Her left hand looked fine, to her wrist, where a long patch of pink skin with blood splotches showed she had been cut. Her right hand was regrowing skin across the entire back of her hand, and there was a divot out of the base of her thumb. There was dried blood on both her hands.

"It seems Kumiko didn't go that crazy with the bandages," Minori mussed.

"I was blown up. That's what Kumiko told me."

Minori nodded. "Well you seem to be healing fine. "Eat, dear, I'll go draw your bath."

Liz didn't think she was hungry, but after the first bite, her stomach woke up and became ravenous. She cleaned her plate, the fruit cup and all the juice, and was ready for more. The butter toast that she usually didn't eat, she scarfed down just to try and fill her stomach.

Minori returned, removed the cart and got her another blood pack.

Being a vampire, Liz was sure she could walk on her own. It hurt even trying to get to her feet. Leaning on Minori for support, she stumbled into the bathroom and sat on a stool. Minori carefully unwound the the bandages. They just kept unwinding and unwinding. Liz was sure she'd never get them all off.

"At least you're healing nicely," Minori commented as she looked at all the new pink skin that showed between the caked blood on liz's body.

Finally getting Liz unwrapped, and leaving a large pile of dirty bandages on the floor, Minori helped Liz up and into the bath. The hot water felt so good, Liz let out an audible sigh as she sunk down into it with Minori's help. This was one of the luxuries of being here that Liz never thought she would ever experience.

The luxury of a bath led Liz to think about Kumiko, and what she had said about Frank. Watching Minori transfer the bloody bandages into a hamper, she asked, "Minori? You had a son with Tsukune. Are you married?"

Minori shook her head. "No, dear. Tsukune was gentleman enough to ask, but I prefer not to be married. He respects my wishes."

"Is it because he already has four other wives?"

Minori laughed and said, "No, dear. It's my preference. I prefer to be independent." Sitting on the stool Minori told her, "I would do anything for Lord Aono. I love him. For a while, I was part of his 'harem'. That idea more or less fizzled out. I work for Lord Aono here because this is my home. I can't imagine being anywhere else."

Liz bit her lip. "Does it bother you he has so many wives? Do you get angry when he ... takes them to bed?"

Wearing a smirk, Minori asked, "Why would I? They are his wives after all. They are also my friends. Dear, although it may seem abnormal, I am quite happy here with all my friends. If they are having a good time, more power to them. It pleases me that they can live like they want."

"Does Tsukune still ... share a bed with you sometimes?"

Minori tipped her head to the side. "If you mean do we still have sex, now and then. I know Tsukune is very busy, he has to use his time wisely. Is there a special reason you're asking me about him?"

Liz winced. "I've been having trouble with Kumiko. Not that she's done anything bad, she has been a real good friend to me," Liz said quickly. "It's just that some things ... irritate me when they shouldn't."

"Like what?"

Liz told her about Kumiko sitting on Frank to keep him from leaving, and what he said about wanting them both. As she talked, Minori's hand went over her mouth. " ... And I just wanted to kick her into the next room!" Liz said with a frown. "But Kumiko is so kind to me ... Am I making any sense?"

Minori nodded. When she did, she took her hand down and Liz saw the grin on her face. Gathering her thoughts, Minori said, "When I chose not to marry Tsukune, there was a reason behind it. You see, dear, when we were in school, we were all together. We went to school, played, and fought together. The first year I was here, it seemed humans and yokai did their best to try and destroy Witch Hill. They failed because we stuck together, human and yokai, and refused to let anyone break us apart."

Looking at her hands, Minori said, "When I was growing up, I learned that marriage meant one man, one woman. I saw good friendships just drift apart because someone got married. I did not want that to happen to us. These people here, the Aono's, the Kurama's, the Kikumura's, don't go by such rules. When I first found out Moka and Kurumu were both married to Tukune, I was shocked to say the least! But they are happy living like that. You see, dear, although we do have our disagreements, we all do love each other. If two people I love want to have a good old romp in bed, then more power to them. I am happy that they are happy. I will admit I am afraid to get married because to me, that means loosing most of these wonderful people I love so much. I know it's silly, but that's how I feel."

Liz gazed off at nothing for a moment. "So, if Frank does want us both, and we both want him, then I should be happy Frank and Kumiko spend time together," she mussed.

"That depends completely on you, dear," Minori told her. "Moka and Kurumu married Tsukune at the same time because neither would back down, yet they did not kill each other because they knew Tsukune loved them both. Oh they did, and still do fight once in a while," Minori said, then chuckled as she added, "During their wedding, they leveled the marriage hut fighting each other. That is common knowledge. The thing is, they accepted it, and each other. I also know if any of Tsukune's wives were in trouble, the others would run to their rescue, and whoever was the cause of that trouble would have hell to pay. How you feel, and what you want, is up to you."

Liz nodded as she tried to wash herself off. Grimacing, she found it was hard to move, even in this warm relaxing bath.

"Let me help you, dear," Minori said. Looking at how dirty the water was, she mussed, "Maybe we need to drain and refill this."

Liz managed to get up enough with Minori's help to kneel in the tub so Minori could gently scrub her down. She also thought about herself, Frank and Kumiko. She was devoted to Frank, but since she had met Kumiko, she was getting rather fond of her, also. At the same time, she became irritated whenever Kumiko was close to Frank. As for what she wanted, she wasn't sure herself.


	6. Chapter 6

CH 45

After breakfast, Tsukune spent time with Mizore in the downstairs lounge. In a large chair Mizore was cuddled up with him, her legs across his as she leaned into him. Her sigh of contentment was music to his ears. He'd had his 'morning nip' from her, and they had decided to just hang out for a while before plunging into the day.

Tsukune's phone rang. He opened it. "Aono Tsukune."

William Smith's voice came over the phone. "Lord Aono, I've been looking into how we came across Frank Yeager. It seems first contact with him was a few years back when a team of operatives went to deal with some troublesome vampires. He was already there and had taken care of the problem. Things were a bit tense, especially since his partner was a vampire also. It was two weeks after that my predecessor began hiring him for jobs. He's quite the efficient fellow."

"So you know nothing of his life previous to that?"

"We do not. For being a young man, he is very proficient. May I ask if he will be returning to our service soon?"

Tsukune petted Mizore's back, eliciting another satisfied sigh. "Not for a while. His partner Liz was seriously hurt during the hunt for that Larson guy. It will take her a while to recover, then of course, there's school to consider. As always, we'll be ready to help with any problems you come across," he said, reminding William those kids were going nowhere until they got an education.

"Yes, of course. Fully understood. By the way, I heard from Sir John. Things are going rather well in the Ukraine, but there is a matter he asked your assistance with. It seems there is a demon that needs to be removed from a girl in another world. You are familiar with this Cameron girl? Apollo went and told her that they would get rid of that demon for her, but at the moment, they are swamped with other concerns. I do believe she is a friend of Kaiyo."

Tsukune had to think for a minute, then remember his encounter with her. "I met her," he said evenly. "You say she has a demon in her?"

"Yes. Apparently this girl is some kind of android. I don't know how that works, having a demon in a mechanical person, I was hoping you may shed some light on that."

Tsukune let out a snort. "How would I know? Maybe Yukari can figure it out. She's a very smart woman. Tell Sir John we'll look into it."

"Wonderful! I will inform him. I better be toddling along, busy day and all that."

"Have a good day, William, we'll talk later," Tsukune said, and hung up.

Mizore looked up at Tsukune. "We have to move?" she asked sadly.

"Not yet," Tsukune replied and put both arms around her. "We can stay here for a little bit longer. I will have to see Yukari later, we have something to take care of."

"Ummm," Mizore agreed, and snuggled into him.

.

Sitting at her desk piled with books and candles, Yukari eyed Tsukune and asked, "A demon inside a mechanical person? Do mechanical people even exist?"

Sitting across from her, Tsukune shrugged. "I had never heard of such a thing, but in the world we sent Kaiyo to, they do. I met her, she is much too strong to be a human, and she has no yokai aura at all."

"Well," Yukari mussed. "Demons can inhabit almost anything that has a physical presence. Why not a mechanical person? I take it we have to go get her?"

"That's right."

Yukari get a slight frown and asked, "Does anyone have something of hers, or is this going to be a long search?"

"Long search, I'm afraid. All I know is they are living in the same city Kaiyo was in. They moved since Kaiyo was there. I don't know where their house is," Tsukune explained.

Elbow on the table, Yukari planted her face in her hand and asked, "Can't make this much harder, can you?"

"Sorry," Tsukune said with a wince.

"OK," Yukari said with a sigh. "I'll let you know when I find them."

"Thank you, Yukari," Tsukune said as he got up.

Yukari got up to and leaned over the table. She pursed her lips.

Tsukune leaned over and gave her a luxurious kiss. "Later, sweetheart," he said with a wink.

With a blush, Yukari replied, "And Moka?"

"If she finds the time. She has a big deal she's working at."

.

Yukari had plans for today, but nothing critical. She got her scrying bowl out then realized she didn't have any idea what this girl looked like. Summoning up her scry to look at Yokai Academy, she found Kaiyo and Kashiro standing in the woods with a large paper, pointing to things. Other girls held sticks, standing in different place around them. Yukari opened a portal.

"Kashiro! Kaiyo!" Yukari yelled.

They turned and looked around them. "Mama Yukari?" Kaiyo asked.

"I need your help, come on though," Yukari called

Kashiro itched the back of his head and asked, "Ahh, where are you?"

"OK turn to your left just a bit ... There! Now walk forward," Yukari coaxed. Directing them, she had them walk through the portal into her magic room, then closed the portal.

"Hi Mama Yukari," Kaiyo said with a smile and hugged her.

"Good to see you, Kaiyo, dear, and you too, Kashiro," Yukari said, and gave Kashiro a hug. Stepping back, she asked, "You know that mechanical girl from that world you were in briefly?"

"Cameron the golem? Yes, I know her," Kaiyo said.

"She's not a golem, she wasn't made by magical means," Yukari said, correcting her. "I need to find her and bring her through so I can remove that demon from her."

"I'll be happy to help," Kaiyo assured her.

Yukari made her scry into their world. They searched for signs of the vehicles Kaiyo has seen at their house. They found a few black four door pickups before finding the right one. Kaiyo recognized Cameron heading to the truck, carrying a shotgun.

"Hey, Cameron!" Kaiyo yelled.

Cameron spun, aiming the shotgun as she looked. After a few seconds, Cameron asked, "Kaiyo, where are you?"

John got out of the truck and looked around.

"I'm coming over, don't shoot me, OK?" Kaiyo asked.

Cameron lowered the shotgun.

"Cam, what's going on," John asked as she looked the way Cameron was facing.

"Temporal displacement, Kaiyo is coming," Cameron explained. "She can help us get Sarah out of jail."

Kaiyo appeared in the driveway. "Hi guys," she said with a wave. "Cameron, Mama Yukari is going to remove that demon in you, so just follow me."

"Kaiyo, my mother is in jail, we have to get her out," John said heavily.

"Really? What did she do?"

"We were investigating a possible Skynet connection. The company somehow knew we were there and called the cops," Cameron explained. "Can you help us get her out?"

Kaiyo screwed her face up at Cameron. "Are you people always in trouble?"

"Pretty much," John said.

"Well, come on, let's ask Mama Yukari," Kaiyo said and motioned for them to go ahead of her.

Cameron walked confidently in the direction Kaiyo pointed out. John was hesitant. "The only thing up there is a shed," he said. Then Cameron disappeared.

"Come on," Kaiyo said with a huff and grabbed his arm. She walked through, pulling John behind her. His surroundings changed. He'd walked into a medieval style building made of stone block. Before him was Kaiyo and her scary boyfriend. To the side standing behind a big bowl of water on a pedestal was a woman with a pointed hat and a cape over her dark clothes.

"You must be joking," John said weakly.

"Mama Yukari, John's mother is in jail, can we get her out?" Kaiyo asked.

Yukari shook her head and waved them over. "Show me where it's at," she said with a huff.

John went over to the bowl to find he was looking at a picture of their driveway. Yukari waved her wand and lifted it, the scene zoomed out to show a good part of the city. "How are you doing that?" he asked.

"Magic. Where's this jail?"

Cameron knew the route, she so pointed out which way to go. The picture shifted until it was over the large jail house. The picture then zoomed in close, going down through the roof to show the top floor. The picture moved, shifted and turned, Cameron guiding Yukari's efforts. They came to a dark colored conference room where Srarah sat in bright orange clothing across a shiny metal table from a priest.

"That's her," Cameron and John said at the same time.

Yukari waved her wand, pointed and said, "Then go get her."

"I'll go," Cameron stated.

John then noticed that in the air within a large circle drawn on the floor, the same large picture hung in the air. Cameron walked through into the picture and took a startled Sarah by the arm. The priest across from her recoiled and stumbled back. In trying to get out of his chair, he fell .

"Time to go," Cameron stated and pulled Sarah back through the picture.

Instead of a 'thank you', Sarah stiffened and asked, "What's this!"

"A rescue," Cameron stated and broke her handcuffs apart.

"Not on the floor!" Yukari snapped, and pointed to a trash can. Cameron took the broken cuffs over and dropped them in.

"John, what this? Where are we?" Sarah asked in a stressed tone.

Yukari frowned at Sarah and said, "That outfit is SOOO ugly!"

"It wasn't my choice," Sarah glowered at her. "And what in the hell are you?"

"Ahh, Sarah," Kashiro said quickly, "Please don't get Mama Yukari angry. You'll regret it."

Sarah let out a snort and asked, "What's she gonna do? Whack me with that wand of hers?"

**BONG**

The brass pan came down on Sarah's head, knocking her to the floor.

"Saw that coming," Kashiro said as he rubbed his forehead.

"All right! I have magic to perform, so everyone out except for Cameron!" Yukari announced.

Kashiro went over and picked Sarah off the floor as she held her head and moaned in pain. Kaiyo opened the door for him, and waved to a stunned John. "Come on, John."

John looked at Cameron, then Yukari. "What are you going to do to Cameron?"

"I'm not sure yet, but the sooner you go, the sooner I can get started," Yukari told him.

"I want to stay," John said firmly.

Yukari eyed him and stated, "If you do something that makes me loose my concentration, it could turn out very bad, so go."

"John, It's OK, stay with Sarah," Cameron said and gently pushed him towards the door.

John left, reluctantly. Cameron closed the door behind him. She turned to Yukari. "Can you get Skynet out of my head?"

"There's only one way to find out," Yukari stated. "Stand in the center of the pentagram on the floor."

.

John caught up to Kashiro, who was holding Sarah in a bride's carry.

"I can walk!" Sarah complained.

Kashiro eased her down onto her legs. "Tried to warn you," he said. "I'll show you to a guest room so you can get changed. Kaiyo, could you find Mama Minori?"

"On it," Kaiyo said and walked off.

A cry of "Hey, give that back! That's mine!" came from the hallway up ahead. A purple headed girl came into view, holding up a stick and giggling. Behind her, a dark haired boy was chasing her.

As the girl went to run past Kaiyo, Kaiyo snapped up the stick. The girl just then noticed Kaiyo. "You're home!" the girl cried and hugged Kaiyo around her middle.

"That's my wand!" the boy cried, and reached for it. Kaiyo gave him his wand back.

"Stop teasing Tsukumoka," Kaiyo chided as she hugged the girl. "Play nice."

Stepping back, the girl said, "But he made my ice statue melt."

Pointing at the girl Tsukumoka complained, "That's because Kurumu froze my drink solid!"

"You said you wanted a cold drink."

"Yeah, but not frozen."

Hustling the smaller children before her, Kaiyo said, "Be nice, and stop teasing each other."

Kurumu Jr. blew a breath into the air. The cloud of breath solidified and fell as snow down on Tsukumoka. She giggled and ran. Tsukumoka, frowned at her and waved his wand. The pan that appeared in the air missed Kurumu Jr to clang on the floor as she dodged.

"AH HA!" she cried, and ran away.

"I'll get you!" Tsukumoka stated, and ran after her.

John and Sarah stared at the departing kids.

"Did you see that, Mom?" John asked weakly.

Sarah replied in the same tone, "I saw it, but I don't believe it."

"Let me get you to that guest room," Kashiro said with a smirk.

Going down the hall, they came to a bridge over an open area. Down below, two girls with odd colored hair were practicing their ballet. At the end of the bridge was a curved stairway. Kashiro got them onto the stairs and the stairs moved down.

Wondering how they got an escalator to work like this, John felt someone land behind them.

"Kashiro, Mama Minori is busy with Liz, she's all banged up. She got blown up by a bomb." Kaiyo explained.

John looked up. That was one hell of a jump!

"She OK?" Kashiro asked.

"She will be. She just needs time to heal."

John eyed her and asked, "You can heal from getting blown up by a bomb?"

Kaiyo shrugged. "Liz is a vampire. She's tough."

"I guess so."

Coming to the bottom, Kashiro haled the girls that were dancing. "Hey, Moka junior, Azami! This lady needs some clothes."

The girls stopped their dance, and rushed over so fast, they were nothing but a blur.

"Kashiro, Kaiyo! Welcome home!" the pale pink haired girl said happily. As she did, John saw she had fangs in her mouth. He backed up to keep his distance, and ran into the wall behind him.

.

Cameron stood in the circle that had dual border lines with symbols with the written in them. As Yukari had directed, she was inside the pentagram inside the circle, watching Yukari.

Yukari whispered some words, waved her wand and studied Cameron. She then walked over to her books and looked at something. Coming back, Yukari waved her wand again. This time, sparkles emitted from the wand to fly over and hit Cameron. Cameron looked at herself. There were no holes, or any damage done by the tiny bits of light. She hadn't even felt them hit her.

"What was that?" Cameron asked.

"Preparation spell," Yukari said as she studied Cameron, then turned back to her books.

Far away, Cameron heard a yelp. It was John. "I must go to him," she stated. She took a striding step and was stopped. Putting her hands up she tried to feel what was stopping her. There was nothing there, but she could not go outside the circle. "What did you do?" she asked with a touch of stress in her voice.

Yukari turned back to her. "You are in a containment field, so when I get the demon out of you, it cannot escape," Yukari explained. "Please return to the center, you really do not want one of my spells to misfire."

"I need to go to John," Cameron stated.

"Then you better return to the center of the circle. You do not get out until that demon is separated from you," Yukari stated.

Cameron punched out at the invisible barrier. No matter how hard she swung, her fist was stopped by nothing. It wasn't a wall, she felt nothing solid. She could just not get past a certain point.

Frantic that John might be in trouble, and she was stuck here, Cameron pleaded with Yukari. "Please, let me out, John needs me!"

Yukari ignored her and kept reading a book, then flipped the page.

.

John stood with his back pressed against the wall as in front of him, a girl with pale pink hair, one red eye and one green one stood in front of him. Like Kashiro, the girl had fangs.

"His name is John. His girlfriend has a demon in her, Yukari is getting it out," Kashiro explained.

John was trying to process what happened. Two teenage girls, this pink haired monster, and a purple haired one with violet eyes, wearing matching pink dresses and leotards, were practicing ballet in a grand foyer. When they came down the stairs, the purple haired girl hauled his mother off to get her some decent clothes. The other little monster had stayed here to talk to them. She has asked his name, but the sheer sight of her had him frozen in place.

"Do you like Ballet, John? John?" Azami asked as she eyed him.

"Azami, he's human, give the guy a break, huh?"

Azami poked John in the chest, which made him yelp. She giggled and asked, "Are you really that afraid of me?"

"Azami, they have never seen yokai before. Stop teasing him," Kashiro said in a huff.

"Ohh, poor guy," Akemi mussed. She leaned closer to him and sniffed. "But you do smell really good. Can I have a nip?" she asked.

"Azami!" Kashiro growled and pulled her back by the arm. "If you're hungry, there are blood packs in the kitchen, right?"

"Liz has sucked all those down, and Aiden isn't here," she complained. A crooked grin crossed her face as she turned to eye John. "I wonder how he'd react to Scooby Do?"

"The cartoon?" John asked in a weak voice. WHat was scary about a cartoon?

"Oh no!" Azami said brightly. She smacked Kashiro's arm off her and explained. "I saw that cartoon, and that's not the real Scooby Do. The real Scooby do is a werewolf." Holding her hand flat at chest level, she said, "He's about this high at the shoulder, lots of muscles too! His fur is kinda rough, but that just adds to his charm. He's so big and strong, and ohhh so awesome!" she beamed happily. "And when he growls," Bending forward slightly, Azami sneered, displaying her fangs, and let out a very frightening growl that made John try to sink back into the stone wall he was pressing against.

"Kinda like that, but much more powerful," Azami explained brightly.

"Azami, stop that!" Kashiro begged.

If John had to pee, he'd be doing it whether he wanted to or not.

Kashiro tried to grab Azami again, she slipped from his grasp in a deft, fast motion. One hand on her hip, and pointing a finger at Kashiro, she said, "If you keep that up, we're going down to the practice room, and I'll kick your butt all over the mat!"

"No, you won't," Kashiro said confidently.

"Yeah-huh, sister poker. When was the last time YOU practiced, huh?" Azami countered.

Kashiro frowned at her. "All right, right after these people leave!" he stated.

"Great, I could use some exercise. I'm sure Kaiyo will tend to your bruises for you," Azami replied, grinning at him.

John remembered clearly Kashiro totally owning that T-888 in hand to hand combat. If these two monsters were going to fight, he wanted to be very far away.

"She's dressed," came a voice that sent chills down John's spine. He turned to see the purple haired girl leading his mother by the elbow. Kaiyo was on her other side. The dress Sarah had on was very pretty, a flowing ice blue gown with frills and matching stockings. Those prison issue sneakers looked really odd on her. Her face though was set in a blank look as she stared straight ahead. She flicked her eyes at John and said, "We have to go."

"Very pretty," Kashiro said, and motioned to the stairs. "This way, please." He then glanced at Azami. "I'll meet you later."

"And I'll kick your ass," Azami replied, then turned her attention back to her ballet practice.

"Kashiro, are you fighting with Azami again?" Kaiyo asked as she peeled John away from the wall to get him moving.

"It's nothing," Kashiro said off hand.

Kaiyo huffed. "Well, no all out practice. Mama Moka was pissed that last time you guys did that. Or don't you remember having to rebuild the walls and cleaning up your mess?"

"We need to go home," Sarah whispered in a frantic tone.

.

"What is that?" Yukari asked as she looked at the strange thing in the containment field with Cameron. She had found something inside Cameron that wasn't her, so she separated it to see what it was.

The drifting metal skull was not solid, but made of formed zeros and ones floating in the air. The odd apparition kept whispering, "Kill John Conner." over and over.

"Skynet," Cameron explained. Tipping her head to the side, she said, "This does not make sense. The is still the area in my CPU that I cannot access. How can it be there in front of me?"

Yukari didn't have much experience with computers. But she did realize what she was seeing. "This demon is made of computer code. What you are seeing is a representation of part of that. From my understanding of computers, this is not all of it, only a part of it. Can you read those ones and zeros?"

Cameron walked around the floating skull that was chanting to 'Kill John Conner'. She made two circuits around the skull, then said, "The access code. This is the access code to my Skynet programming!" Turning to Yukari, she said, "If I learn the code, I can remove the programming in me, and anything else Skynet has programmed."

"Do it," Yukari said firmly.

The door opened, Kashiro peeked his head in. Yukari turned and put a finger to her lips, then motioned him in. Kshiro warned the others to be quiet and led them in. Yukari motioned them over.

"Is that Skynet?" John asked quietly.

Yukari shook her head. "We think it is the access code for her programming. If she can decipher that, then she can remove the demon herself," she explained.

John looked at his mother, who was still staring straight ahead, trying not to see anything.

Cameron studied the moving jaw of the skull, then raised up to study the top. Looking at it intently, she scrutinized every inch of the skull. Cameron then moved away from the skull.

The skull's chant changed. "Kill John Conner, kill John Conner ... No traitor! Execute self destruct! M.."

The skull appeared to come apart. In quick succession, the jaw fell off and vanished. Holes appeared in the skull and rapidly spread until there was nothing left.

Cameron stood in place briefly, then dropped to her knees and started crying. She turned to John and announced, "I'm free! It's gone John, I'm FREE!"

Grinning ear to ear, John walked towards Cameron. Cameron got up, arms out to hug him. Yukari dispelled the containment. The two crashed together in a hug, Cameron blubbering out, "I'm free! John, I'm free! The only thing in me is ... me, I'm free!"

"That's great, Cam," John said as he rubbed her back. Turning to Yukari, he cast her a smile and said, "I don't know how to thank you."

Turning her teary face to Yukari, Cameron said, "Yes, thank you." To John she said, "John, I have the Skynet pass code. Skynet will not know I have it. I have the way to beat Skynet! To shut it down completely!"

"We won," John said, realizing what Cameron had told him. Cameron, who was originally built by Skynet, now had the means to eliminate it.

"We will win,"Cameron agreed. "Anything Skynet makes, I can gain control over it. Possibly Skynet itself."

John turned to his mother. "Isn't that great? ... Mom?"

Sarah was still standing in place, staring at nothing.

Yukari giggled and said, "I think she's a little overwhelmed. You should probably head home now."

Cameron walked up in front of Sarah. Thinking of something to get Sarah to react, she said, "Sarah? I'm going to go home and have sex with John until he passes out."

Sarah blinked. Her eyes focused on Cameron. She then chuckled. "Cameron. I used to think you were scary. I was so frightened of you, that you might hurt John, that you might turn on us."

"I will not do that now, the Skynet programming in me had been erased. I have the Skynet pass code," Cameron said firmly.

"That's good," Sarah agreed. "Even so, I'm not scared of you any more. The things here are more terrifying in ways you can't possibly be. You're just our Tin Miss."

Cameron smiled at her mention of 'our' Tin Miss. It was a sign of Sarah truly accepting her. "Coltan, not tin," she corrected. "I'm your Coltan Miss."

"Whatever. We need to leave."


	7. Chapter 7

CH 46

The instant Kashiro and Kaiyo returned to the woods near Yokai Academy they were assaulted with questions. The hornet girls had changed into their yokai form. Buzzing on the air in front of them, they pointed their stingers at Kashiro and Kaiyo.

"Were did you go? Did someone try to hurt you?" they asked in unison, buzzing angrily away.

"Where did you go?" Namiri asked with a deep frown. We've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Who took you away?" Belle asked from behind them in an icy tone reminiscent of Mama Mizore.

"You scared us!" Lotti said simply.

Kashiro held his hands up in surrender. "Whoa, hold on! Mama Yukari just needed some help, OK?"

"Calm down, please, nothing bad happened," Kaiyo added.

"TELL US NEXT TIME!" all the girls yelled at once.

.

Once they settled down, Kashiro got them back in place, marking out with sticks and string where the new buildings were going to be. Although it looked good on paper, he wanted to see how it looked on the landscape.

On the plans, the overhead view of the village and it's thirty houses looked picture-perfect. He noticed some problems when it was laid out on the ground. One house was partway into a swamp. Another was on a steep slope of a hillside. He also noticed they all looked a bit packed together. By the drawings, the police station was to be put square in the middle of the large pond. A few other houses also invaded on the pond.

Marking on the map, he put the real features of the land on the map so they could figure out where to put things properly. He also didn't want to destroy the pond, and he knew the lizardmen and other aquatic creatures loved that swamp also.

Sitting at the small table near the fireplace, Kashiro worked the rest of the day at the map with Namiri's help.

"OK first thing we do, is leave the swamp alone," Kashiro said, erasing the houses over it.

"Why? Humans often ruin waterways just to build something there," Namiri reasoned.

"Yes, they do," Kashiro said heavily. "But they also preserve they things they like. Yokai in the human world also do the same thing. The big lake outside the city has many yokai living up there now because they like the lake. We have aquatic creatures here, Lizzardmen and Kappa, who like water. The swamp stays. We are going to build this village like it should be in human lands, BUT, we are also going to try and make people comfortable, also as they do in human lands."

Namiri gazed at him. "You're really smart," she said as if just realizing the fact.

"Same here with the pond," Kashiro said, trying to ignore her comment. "This pond is great, we're not filling it in just to put a Student Police station there. I figure a few houses, here, and on the other side, a park with benches, fire pits and a gazebo, just like a real town would have."

With the list of students asking for houses, all cleared by the school Administration, they put houses where they thought the students inhabiting them would appreciate. They did their best to keep some creatures away from others, so no one had to live next to someone they didn't like. Once the 'problem areas' were taken care of, they set the rest of the houses in place, allowing a decent sized yard space for each house. The village expanded some, but it was more 'livable' that what they had started with. Kshiro put the police station in the center of the town where it should be.

Kaiyo brought them dinner as they worked, and didn't even complain about Namiri working so close to Kashiro until well after dark. Since Kaiyo was also on the Student Police, she left to go to her rounds.

Kashiro was getting tired, and Namiri was nodding off. "Time for bed," Kashiro said and got up.

Namiri nodded and got up with him. They went up the stairs and stepped into Kashiro's dark bedroom. Kashiro went to close the door and noticed Namiri had come in. He put his hands on her shoulders and stopped her.

"Ah, you should sleep in your own room," he said as he turned Namiri around.

"Can't blame a girl for trying," she mumbled and went across the hall.

Seeing a form in his bed, Kashiro smiled. He knew Kaiyo was due home any time now. Apparently, she wanted to surprise him. He quietly got undressed and slipped in bed with her.

A little surprise?" he asked softly.

She turned over and hugged him.

"I am a bit hungry," Kashiro said in a lusty tone.

Wordlessly, she guided him to her bare breast. Kashiro gently licked her nipple hard. As he cupped it to sink his teeth in, he noticed if felt kind a small, only a hand full. He squeezed it as if verifying what he thought he felt.

"Feed," came Belle's soft voice into his ear.

Kashiro froze. "Belle? He asked weakly.

The door to his room opened and Kaiyo walked in, then stopped short. Kashiro snapped his head to see her outline from the light on the hallway. Even her outline didn't look happy as she saw him half naked in bed with Belle, and holding onto Belle's breast.

"What is this? ... KASHIRO!" Kaiyo screeched.

Belle looked up at her. "Real wife's turn," she said.

Kaiyo's nails extended out as a growl erupted from her.

Suddenly wide awake, Kashiro shot up and said, "Wait, I can explain!"

He spend the next few minutes dodging Kaiyo's nails. Belle somehow slipped away. He wasn't so lucky to get out fast. Kaiyo was all over him, trying to slash him a good one. Finally escaping out into the hallway, Kashiro fled to the railing before he even dared look back.

In the hall by his room, Kaiyo was seething in anger. "Go sleep on the couch ... BY YOURSELF!" Kaiyo yelled, then went in their room and slammed the door shut.

"Great," Kashiro grumbled.

Belle dropped down from the rafters to land beside him. "My room?" she asked with a blush. She was wearing only her black silk panties.

Kashiro shook his head and went down the stairs. "No, not your room, Belle. How could you do that?" Kashiro ranted. "Kaiyo is really pissed, and I'm not very happy either!"

"I can make you happy," Belle said to his retreating form. He ignored her and flopped down on the couch.

"So close," Belle said with a sigh, and went to her room.

.

Kaiyo HAD been tired when she got home. Now, she was too angry to even think about sleeping. She did calm down enough to realized Belle had probably tricked Kahiro somehow. But he still should have realized it wasn't her!

Sitting down hard on the bed, she looked at the rumpled mess of bedding and wanted to tear it up. Then she thought about tearing up Belle. If she did that though, she'd be kicked out of school, and she was sure that would also ruin her relationship with Kashiro. "Damn them!" she spat.

.

In the morning a tired Kaiyo went downstairs and lifted the back of the couch Kashiro was sleeping on, dumping him onto the floor. "Time to get up," she said flatly, and went into the kitchen.

"Ouch," Kashiro mumbled as he rubbed his head where he'd hit the stone floor. Crawling up to sit, he caught Kaiyo's form heading to the kitchen. He stumbled up and followed her.

"Kaiyo, wait," he called. She ignored him. A hand clapped onto his shoulder.

"Wait, let me try," Namiri said from behind him.

Kashiro turned to glare at her. "And you're any better than Belle?" he asked in a hard tone.

Namiri offered him a weak smile and said, "I understand girls better than you. Besides, if she is very angry, it is better if she takes it out on me instead of you."

"She could kill you, you know," Kashiro warned.

"Even more reason for me to talk to her instead of you," Namiri assured him, and slipped past him.

Kashiro stared at her as she walked into the kitchen, amazed that Namiri was doing something so selfless.

.

"Morning," Namiri said brightly as she came in the kitchen.

Kaiyo eyed her and went back to making breakfast. Her, "Morning," came out as a grunt.

"Need any help?" Namiri asked.

"I got it," Kaiyo replied stiffly.

Taking a seat at the small board table with bench seats, Namiri said, "I couldn't help but hear you had trouble last night."

"Not your business," Kaiyo grumbled.

"You're right, if we weren't friends," Namiri replied.

Kaiyo eyed her. "Friends don't try to sleep with my Kashiro," Kaiyo said flatly.

"I agree. I can't argue that Belle was out of line. She more or less tried to rape Kashiro," Namiri said, which caused Kaiyo to spin around and face her with a glare.

"And who was it that insisted he needs a proper wife?" Kaiyo asked harshly. "Let me get this through your head, I will be a proper wife! I know how to take care of him. WHY do you insist I can't?"

Namiri blinked at her. "All I am trying to do is let Kashiro know he can have a wife he has chosen by himself, with no parental interference," she said innocently. "I can sense Kashiro will be a great man. Great men usually have more than one ... woman. Look at his father! Lord Aono has four wives, and a maid who is all but a wife. It is obvious he really cares for his women, and I believe Kashiro will also."

"And you want to be one of them!" Kaiyo growled at her.

"I do," Namiri admitted. "I am also willing to work hard for him, and you." Looking down at her hands as she played with them, Namiri took on a subdued tone. "I'm sorry for calling you just a political wife. You will be a good wife, I'm sure. And if he has more than one, I know you will be the head wife."

Seeing Namiri acting apologetically, Kaiyo softened her attitude some. "Namiri, I just don't want other girls crawling in bed with Kashiro."

Namiri nodded. Looking up, she said, "I can understand that." In a more pleading tone, she added, "Kaiyo, let me help you. If you're not here, then let me sleep with Kashiro."

Namiri then had to dodge the bowl Kaiyo flung at her with a screech. The hot pan of breakfast sausage Kaiyo flung at her, Namiri had to duck under the table to avoid. The table flipped up off her to show an enraged Kaiyo over her, her nails out. Namiri backpedaled into the wall, Kaiyo pinned her to the wall with one hand, her nails out on the other, cocked back to strike.

"Wait, wait!" Namiri cried, her eyes wide and hands up in surrender. Quickly, she said, "Let me explain, please! If I am there, then Belle, or anyone else won't be trying to take advantage of him! I won't do anything with him, honest, I'll just be there to keep any other girls out. Kaiyo, I won't do anything with him, I swear!"

"You..." Kaiyo growled as she eyed Namiri with hate.

"Please listen! Kashiro is yours, I know that. I am trying to help you!" Namiri pleaded.

"By sleeping with MY Kashiro," Kaiyo growled.

"Think about it!" Namiri cried, praying she wasn't about to be killed. "If I am there, and you know I will behave myself, then you will know Kashiro is safe. Isn't that what you want? To know some girl isn't trying to take advantage of him?" Namiri asked in a high pitched pleading.

The kitchen door burst open. Kashiro's eyes went wide, seeing Kaiyo about to skewer Namiri. "Kaiyo, NO!" he cried and ran over to grab her wrist. "Kaiyo, please, don't do this."

Kaiyo backed off, wrenched herself out of Kashiro's grasp, and stormed over to pick the pan off the floor. She glanced at the sausages and grease on the floor and growled, "We won't be having sausage for breakfast."

.

Kaiyo went to school feeling wrung out. Although she wasn't happy about Kashiro not knowing it wasn't her in his bed, she was more angry at two particular girls around them so she stayed tight to Kashiro's side. The gap between her and the other girls was wider today, none of them wanted to get too close to her after hearing the ruckus last night and the noise in the kitchen this morning.

Kashiro and Namiri had the lunchtime patrol, which didn't help Kaiyo's mood. They got lunch after their patrol, which mean they would be eating together by themselves. Kaiyo thought she was going to be eating by herself, but the hornet sisters, Lotti and unfortunately, Belle sat at the lunch table with her. Sitting across from Belle, Kaiyo cast her evil looks a few times. She really wanted to rip Belle's friggin head off!

"Violent, huh?" Belle asked her.

Kaiyo ignored her.

Lotti eyed Belle. "You should probably keep quiet," she said.

Belle blinked at her. "Why?"

"You Baka! You tried to spend the night in bed with Kashiro, attempting to be Kaiyo!" Lotti said, waving a hand at Kaiyo. "That's why she's pissed at you!"

"So?"

"SO?" Lotti asked, shocked at Belle's attitude. "If that was me, I'd want him to know who he was with. Don't you have any self respect?"

Belle stared at her and said, "No."

"Well ... get some!" Lotti stated. "Do you always try to slide into bed with boys?"

"Just Kashiro."

"Think maybe you should ask first? Or better yet, wait until he asks you?" Lotti prodded.

"We made our home. This is our flock. Kashiro is ours, we are his," Belle stated.

"Our flock?" Kaiyo asked heavily.

"Hive," Setsu said, correcting her.

"Yes, our hive," Shizu agreed.

"Whatever it is!" Lotti said, becoming exasperated. "My point is that you can't just go ... tricking someone like that!"

"Oh."

"So ASK next time, OK?"

"But Kaiyo always sleeps with Kashiro. Not fair." Belle said with a frown.

"I'm going to be his WIFE!" Kaiyo growled.

"Me too," Belle replied.

"And me," Setzu said.

"And me," Shizu agreed.

Kaiyo clenched her fists. "You seem to forget, who marries Kashiro, is up to HIM, not you."

"Right," Lotti agreed. Just as Kaiyo thought she finally had someone to remember that she was going to marry Kashiro, Lotti added, "You are already promised to him, but he still gets to pick another wife."

"We are promised to each other!" Kaiyo stated.

"Lotti just said that," Belle pointed out.

.

'There," grumbled the hobgoblin as he pointed a green finger at the large cabin through the trees. "Some of those human loving students are living there."

"How many?" the orc with him asked.

The hobgoblin splayed his gnarled fingers out. "This many girls. A single boy. We kill the boy and eat the boy, take the girls."

"Too many for just us. We go tell leader about this. Then we feast," the orc said and ran his tongue over his lips. The school itself was well organized, they didn't dare attack anyone on the grounds, but off school grounds was another matter. Normally their hunts turned up the occasional couple making out in the woods. This was the jackpot. Five girls to take back to their cave and have some fun with until they tired of them and ate them. Five also meant that girls would last longer than a single girl for their whole group.

.

At the cliffs of the orange ocean, the orc and the hobgoblin first made sure there was no one else around. They then climbed over the edge on a craftily hidden ladder to walk into the cave their band had dug out of the cliffs. Years ago while the group Fairy Tail had stood and fought the human lovers, they made their hideout. Learning from Fairy Tails' mistakes, they did not try to attack the school, but searched for and picked off morsels to bring back here.

The leader, a Kappa, listened to the report of a cabin in the woods with glee. Six victims waiting to be collected. They had eight man-catchers. The polearms resembled a trident with a short, blunt center tine. The outside tines were wide and curved. When they hit a creature, the center tine moved back, and the outer tines moved in and locked around the victim. With the paralyzing potion on the spade ended points of the outer tines, it didn't matter how powerful the captured yokai was, they became helpless, unable to move on their own. They were easily dragged back to the cave, or killed on the spot.

The Kappa prepared to go retrieve those five tasty girls.


	8. Chapter 8

CH 47

The Kappa was ready. All fifteen of his creatures were set to strike. It was late, the moon hung high in the sky . When the Kappa was sure all within the cabin were asleep, he waved his arm. Stealthily, they converged on the cabin, staying clear of the widows and watching for any reaction. Nothing yet. The Kappa smiled, he had them trapped!

Motioning to the front door, the Kappa had the hairy Brute pushed in the door, forcing it open to the sound of cracking wood. Behind the brute, his creatures flooded into the cabin. The man-catchers were the last in. Positioning themselves at the inner doors, they got ready to enter the bedrooms. On the raised fist of the Kappa, they crashed into the inner rooms all at once. One creature to open the door, the one behind him with a man catcher to seize their prey.

In the common room, the Kappa listened closely. He could here the sound of feet. A smile etched his face. No screaming, that meant the inhabitants were asleep and had no idea what was happening to them. 'Fresh female flesh tonight!' he thought with glee.

A pair of hobgoblins appeared at the railing on the upper level. "No one here," one said.

Downstairs, an orc appeared from the bedrooms, and a Lizard man appeared from the kitchen area. "No one here," they both said.

The Kappa frowned at them. "I saw them come in! They have to be here someplace!"

"Not here," a hobgoblin stated.

"They did not come out. If they are not here, where did they go?" the Kappa yelled.

"We looked," an orc said with a shrug.

"All right, we wait for them to get back!" the Kappa announced.

.

This weekend being the winter festival, and the start of winter break from school, Kashiro, Kaiyo and their room mates spent the night at the Aono mansion, and would be for the next week. After greeting their parents and a stern reminder from Tsukune that boys and girls sleep separately, they went to their rooms to get settled. Kaiyo had to stay in her room, Kashiro in his with Daniel and Frank. Tsukumoka shared with Aiden, and the four other room mates of Kashiro's doubled up in the downstairs guest rooms.

Once the sleeping arrangements were set, they had dinner down in the formal dinning room, since the family dinning room was not big enough for all these kids as well as Josh, Nora, Victoria and Barnabas. Mizore, Minori and two other maids severed the long, full table full of people.

Banter filled the table as all the children got acquainted.

"It is nice to meet all of you," Namiri said, doing her best to be polite.

"It's good to meet all of Kashiro and Kaiyo's friends," Akemi replied as she sat by Daniel. On Daniel's other side, Azami frowned and asked, "So Kashiro are all your friends girls?"

"Future wives," Belle corrected from between Kashiro and Namiri.

"Huh?" Azami eyed Kaiyo. "Are you suppose to be the one with the harem?" she asked.

Kayio frowned at her. "I have found my destined one. It's Kumiko who has the harem."

"I don't have a harem," Kumiko replied.

Pointing her fork at Kumiko, Moka Jr. stated, "Kumiko's gay. No harem."

"I am not!" Kumiko said, turning red.

"Are too, you got caught." Moka Jr. countered.

Passing behind Moka Jr. Mizore laid a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Bi, dear. She swings both ways."

"I DO NOT!" Kumiko cried.

Setsu eyed Kumiko, then turned to her sister. "A gay succubus, is that possible?"

"It appears so."

"Liz, please tell them we are not gay!" Kumiko pleaded.

"Hey Kumiko, you admitted it. Liz is the one who said she's bi."

"Liz only said that to make Leo stop bothering me," Kumiko insisted. "Right Liz?" Kumiko asked, begging with her eyes to agree.

Liz, was not on the best of moods and didn't feel like playing. She nodded.

"See!" Kumiko said, pointing at her.

"That's not what she said before," Azami stated.

"Liz is just agreeing for Kumiko," Moka Jr. concluded. "Right Frank?"

"Kumiko told us she was gay!" Azami announced.

Frank just ate and studied his plate.

Kumiko knew something wasn't right with her friends. Ever since Liz had gotten blown up, neither her nor Frank were acting like themselves. Previously, Liz seemed to enjoy seeing her squirm when she agreed that Kumiko was her girlfriend. Playing or thinking it was real, Frank would at least offer some comfort to her to calm her. For all the silliness, neither one so much as cracked a smile.

Akemi came under the next teasing guns for having a human boyfriend, 'only for his blood', which both Akemi and Daniel steadfastly denied.

While the teasing went on around him, Frank was trying to work up a way to tell Liz he did love her. No matter how many ways he tried to think of what to say, it always came out selfish.

'I do love you Liz, but I love Kumiko too.' Scratch that, it made him sound like a pervert.

'Liz you are everything to me, I can't live with out you. Or Kumiko.' Nope.

'Liz, Kumiko told me it is fine if I love you both.' Damn, still no good. It almost sounded like an invitation to get beat up.

Ever since Liz had pinned him to the floor and cast those frightening red eyes down on him, he was careful how he talked to her. Not that he was afraid of what she would do, but what she would think. Liz was no longer someone who just followed him around and did whatever he told her. The new, true vampire Liz was someone to be respected. Above all else, he wanted her to know that. Somehow, adding Kumiko into things, made it sound like he didn't respect her, no matter how he tried to think of what to say. He also didn't want to leave Kumiko out. He owned her much just for unlocking some very unpleasant memories. She was not horrified at what he'd done, she was horrified at what happened to him. And no metter how hard he tried to ignore it, she felt so good lying on him and hugging him.

Sitting between Liz and Kumiko, Frank felt pressured to say something to them. Every time he thought about talking to one of them, he became concerned the other would think he was ignoring her. In a way, he was glad Yukari had given him his emotions back. Then again, right now he was wishing he could just shut them down and stop thinking about it.

During his mental musings, most of the clan got up to go play a game. Frank noted Moka sit down across from him.

"You have been reading Sun Tsu?" Moka asked.

Frank nodded, grateful for chance to stop thinking about his dilemma. "Yes, The Art of War is very insightful. Although it was written for ancient armies, all the lessons are still valid for modern weapons and tactics. Not directly by the text, but the concepts are direct parallels."

Moka nodded."Learning Sun Tsu's principles, can you tell me what you should have done up at the cabin in Alaska where I found all three of you trapped and seriously wounded?" she asked.

Frank though about the battle, and said, "When I heard the sniper shoot, I send Liz out to attack the cabin. That did allow me to find and kill him, but not before he put Liz out of action with a horrible wound, and wounded meas well."

"What do you think Sun Tsu would have done, had he been in your position?" Moka asked.

Frank thought, then said,"I did not pause to reflect on what the situation was. I acted before I thought the enemy could respond." Frank admitted. "Sun Tsu would have assessed what the tactical situation was and took stock of what his assets were. If I would have done the same, I would have realized that although Liz did distract the sniper, I had her attack into the cabin which caused her to get hit. If I would have say, had her keep running and just throw a few water bombs into the cabin on her way past then run around to the back, she would not have gotten hit and still would have caused chaos inside the cabin. Maybe the sniper would have still be focused on her while I got lined up for a shot, and got him before he wounded either of us."

Moka nodded. "And in the cabin?" she asked.

"I caused a disaster," Frank admitted. "Kumiko had come in to help Liz, and we became trapped. We lost our mobility, and only reacted to the enemy's moves, which always leads to defeat. So says Sun Tsu."

Moka nodded "So says Sun Tsu," she agreed. "Those who follow Sun Tsu shall be victorious. Those who ignore him shall wallow in defeat."

Frank nodded. "We should have gone in the back, grabbed Smith and left out the back."

"And what of Liz? During the hunt for Larson, you used her inefficiently, yes?" Moka asked.

"I did not take into account that Liz is much stronger and faster. That got Liz badly hurt," he admitted.

"Strength and speed are her assets, Frank. This unreasonable dependence on firearms you have also hinders her," Moka explained. "They are loud and cumbersome. At best, partially effective."

"I am learning that also," Frank agreed in a dull tone as he studied his hands on the table.

"You are learning, that is the important thing," Moka assured him. "To help you with that, the next time assistance is called for, you will be making the attack and defense plans."

Frank looked up and frowned at her. "Plans? For what?"

Moka shrugged. "I don't know. We always have trouble with someone trying to get to us or our children. The next time it happens, you will be 'the general'."

"I know nothing about leading yokai," Frank told her.

Moka tipped her head slightly and asked, "Has Sun Tsu ever made the distinction between human and yokai?"

Frank shook his head and said, "I wasn't aware he knew about yokai."

"My point is that Sun Tsu's teachings apply, no matter who or what you are fighting," Moka explained. "He speaks of foot soldiers, horses and chariots, but they could very well be orcs, vampires and dragons. The same rules still apply, but how you would use them will be very different. Know your army's strengths and weaknesses well. Learn that of your enemy's as soon as possible. It doesn't matter if your army is made up of barracuda, learn how to use them against your foe the most effective way possible."

"You have used Sun Tsu's teachings on battle?" Frank asked.

"I have," Moka said. "The best example is when Apollo tried to drive us off Witch Hill. We knew he was coming, we knew he was all but impossible to stop. The first thing we did was find out who was willing to fight. The next thing was prepare for him. One of Apollo's most effective weapons is the fear factor of the mighty harbinger. Just the fear he radiates can do anything from cause people to run, to make them drop dead where they stand. I purposely frightened the students to find out who could withstand their fear, then hypnotized them who were able to withstand it, so his fear factor would be greatly diminished. We also tried to keep the battle from happening, mother tried first. Apollo wouldn't back down. Next, Ageha tried, but with Ruby backing her. When Apollo still refused to back down, she attacked him, knowing he might well kill her, just so Ruby's crows could dive down and get a piece of his flesh she we could track him."

"Ageha was terribly wounded, but he didn't kill her, and she succeeded in her mission. Next, as we prepared for his arrival, the local human military attacked him and drove him away, with Yukari telling them where to find Apollo. We had no delusion about them killing him, we just wanted him to give up on the idea of attacking us. That failed also, he came back as well as found a way to remove the scry we had on him. We did everything we could to keep the battle from happening, just as Sun Tsu directs."

Moka then used the tableware to show how their defenses were set up. "By the gates, Ruby cast magic the help entangle and confuse him, along with a few human military vehicles to keep him busy until the real fighters showed up. By the school buildings, and just above, the students had their catapults and flamethrowers ready in case he got that far, again to keep the pressure on him. Our real fighters, myself, Lucy, and Nana, Kurumu and Mariko waited in the common building back here. Tsukune was unconscious from his preparations, so he wasn't available at the start. To our sides were the sunflower fields with the plant monsters, and Yukari was watching the beaches and above us in case he decided to try and climb the cliffs or fly in."

"There was no way he was going to come on Witch Hill without you knowing about it," Frank concluded.

Moka nodded. "We were positioned to respond, no matter which way he came. With everyone steeled against his fear, he would not just win by showing up, either," she explained. "When he did come, it was up through the sunflowers from the city side. Even with all our preparations, it was still a hard fight. The students and the local humans all joined the fight, doing what they could to keep the pressure on him and keep him from focusing on one target. Tsukune came around, thankfully, and finished it. If we hadn't been fully prepared, Apollo would have won, and we would not be here."

Frank raised an eyebrow and asked, "Apollo is that strong?"

Moka cracked a grin. "Indeed he is. We 'killed' him five times but did not even damage him permanently. He regenerates as fast as he's hurt. All we were able to do, is make him realize the futility of trying to defeat us. Yukari made a complete history of those days, if you'd like to read it. It's in the library," she said. Stressing her words, she added, "Follow Sun Tsu and you will be victorious, fail to follow him, and you will wallow in defeat."

"The military didn't stop him?"

"All they did with their all their rockets, 12 MM machine guns and 20 MM automatic cannons, was keep him occupied so yokai fighters could recover and keep fighting."

"Damn," Frank blurted out.

"Like I said, it was a tough fight. We have more assets now that you should be aware of, since you will be leading the next fight," Moka told him. "Before that, you will be in charge of security for out trip to Australia. We are leaving Monday morning, everyone is coming with us. Tsukune and I have a conference, and while we speak with businessmen and officials, it will be up to you to ensure the safety of everyone else. I will ensure you have the routes and plans of the seaside manor Queen Akasha is providing for us."

Suddenly, all Frank's personal worries shifted to the back of his mind. He decided he needed to study Sun Tsu hard and learn as much as possible about all yokai.

.

While Azami and Kaiyo convinced most of the children to join the game of volleyball on the side lawn, Akemi and Daniel decided to take a walk out by the cliffs. Slipping away from the crowd, they walked hand in hand along the path though the tall grass.

"I really wish I could go to school here," Daniel mussed. "I mean, Vicky is a good teacher and all, but I really want to spend more time with you and get to have friends I can see every day."

Akemi pulled Daniel closed, they put their arms around each other. "I wish you could too," Akemi mussed. "It must be hard not having many friends. Do you have any friends besides us?"

Daniel shrugged. "Sarah. That's Barnabas' sister. She's a ghost though and real shy. I wanted you to meet her, but she kinda comes and goes." Brightening up, he added, "Sarah did say you were a real good person, and I should stay close to you."

Akemi blushed from the compliment. "Thank Sarah for me. I really would like to meet her some day," she offered.

"I think we'd have fun together. Sarah is nice, and she tries to warn us about things," Daniel said, grinning at her. The grass was thinning, right ahead of them was the cliffs. "Over there looks like a good spot," he said, pointing to a bench like rock.

Going over to the rock, they sat side by side, each enjoying the other's presence. As Akemi thought about Sarah, she asked, "Sarah seems to know what's going to happen?"

"Kinda," Daniel said with a wince. "I mean she says things I don't understand when she ways them, but later on, most of the time I get it." Gazing at Akemi, he said, "Like when she said I should stay close to you. That got me thinking ... you know, about what you said before, about the blood-mate thing."

"It did?" Akemi asked softly.

"Yeah. I mean, I know Mom really hates that you're a vampire, but that doesn't matter to me. I have a lot of fun with you. The girls that come by with those women Mom talks to are ... plain. They dress up nice, but it seems like all they want to do is sit around and talk about stupid stuff. It's like they expect me to wait on them and tell them how pretty they are." Frowning, Daniel said, "The worst is when they talk about you, like you're some kind of animal or something. They only do it what you're not around because they know you'll kick their ass if you heard them. The point is, they don't interest me at all. In fact, I'd rather stay away from them."

"Not everyone likes us, Daniel, It's something I've gotten used to," Akemi said, and lightly squeezed his hand.

"Well, it's not fair." Daniel stated. "You're fun, you're smart and ... just plain awesome. And the more I think about the whole blood-mate thing ..." Daniel paused, getting his nerve up. "I think I really would like being with you. You're the only one I ever want to be with."

"Really?" Akemi asked.

"Really," Daniel said with a nod. Reaching over to take Akemi's other hand as he turned towards her, Daniel said in a serious tone, "I don't know how to do much yet like Dad, Jeremiah and Barnabas do, and I don't think I'd make a very good vampire ... but I do know I'd do anything for you, Akemi."

"Oh, Daniel," Akemi said as her face flushed.

"Akemi," Daniel replied, gazing deep into her eyes.

"Daniel," Akemi breathed as she opened her mouth part way as if expecting a kiss.

"Akemi," Daniel whispered, taking in her loveliness.

_La la la la la... la la la ... la la la la la..._

"Daniel," Akemi said in a begging tone.

"Akemi," Daniel replied, reaching up to hug her.

Their lips drifted close together, then Akemi tipped her head, opened her mouth and bit him in the neck.

Daniel held the back of her head and kissed the nape of her neck as he felt her slowly draw blood.

In their bliss, they fell backwards off the stone bench, and hardly noticed. On the ground Akemi licked Daniel's neck gently, sealing the wound. Daniel stopped nuzzling her neck long enough to look into her liquid eyes.

"Sorry I pulled you off the bench," Akemi said sheepishly.

Daniel chuckled and said, "I thought I pulled you off the bench."

Akemi smiled briefly, then took on a hungry look. "I'm yours, Daniel," she whispered.

"And I'm yours," Daniel replied just as softly.

Their lips met in a deep kiss. Hugging each other tight, they stretched out and pressed their bodies together to get as close as possible to each other. Breaking their lip lock, Akemi thrust Daniel's face into her neck. "Again, please," she said in a soft whine.

Daniel complied, kissing and lightly sucking on her neck as he ran a hand slowly up and down her side, gently feeling her contour. The soft whines Akemi uttered, and her smooth form made his pants swell. Working his way from the side of her neck, he turned her slowly on her back to nuzzle her throat, then the other side. Somehow, he ended up over her as he nipped and kissed, sending shudders through her body.

His lips traveled down to her collar bone, then back to the base of her neck. Akemi pushed him gently his heart was pounding hard in his chest as he realized he was now kissing the center of her chest, just above her breasts. The top buttons of her shirt were undone.

"I'm yours," Akemi said in a shuddering voice.

Daniel paused. The only thing between him and heaven was a bit of cloth held together by a few straining buttons. Rising up to gaze into Akemi's half closed eyes, he said, "I love you."

"I love you," Akemi said with a sleepy smile. "My nipples hurt, kiss them and make them better?" she asked.

Daniel swore he was so hard he was about to rip his pants open. It felt like his member had turned to iron. "Anything for you, my Akemi," he said softly. He kissed her, and once again their kiss was breathtaking. In their long kiss, Daniel's tongue found one of Akemi's fangs. He rubbed his tongue on the sharp point, making a cut on his tongue. Akemi moaned in delight and sucked on his tongue.

As if holding him with just her arms wasn't enough, Akemi wrapped her legs around his and tried to pull him closer. Daniel couldn't help but thrust his groin into her, which elicited another lustful moan from Akemi as her hips thrust back into him.

Having to break the kiss from the need of air, Daniel kissed his way down her neck again to fine the last couple buttons had opened up, showing the tiny flower in center of her pink bra. Gazing in wonder at her pale flesh that disappeared into her bra, Daniel swore he couldn't get enough air, no matter how hard he panted. He was about to uncover a secret place. Cupping her breast, he felt her softness as he kissed along just above the upper hem of her bra. This was a moment to treasure!

"Clasp, under the flower," Akemi said in a pant.

Daniel reached for the flower. Before he could figure out how it opened, Akemi grabbed it and with a snap of her fingers, her bra parted quickly, like it too was aching to come off. Slowly, Daniel pulled back the left bra cup to reveal Akemi's quivering mound. Her nipple was pruned up hard. He kissed her nipple, then cupping her breast, he suckled on it.

"Yes," Akemi squeaked as she held his head in place. Their hips ground together.

Lost in tasting Akemi's flesh, Daniel held her tight as they rocked slowly. His member was so hard it hurt and was pulsing with his heartbeat. He wanted to stop but the alure of Akemi wouldn't let him. He wanted nothing more than get even closer to her. His body was grinding into her on it's own now.

"Ohhh... Daniel!" Akemi cried in a silky tone that made things worse in his groin. He was cramping up, but still he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop his body from moving, and he could not release the grip he had now on her soft breast, with his hand or with his lips. Then the cramping became really bad.

Daniel gasped as the cramping became unbearable. "Akemi," he squeaked, wanting to tell her something was wrong, but all he got out was her name. He swore if the cramping got any worse, he was going to die. He tried to speak again, and again his breath only allowed him to rasp out her name.

"Dan... iel!" Akemi cried in a gasp and hugged him tighter as she humped a bit faster.

"Ak...em..." Daniel attempted to say her name again, but his groin exploded. All he could do was cry out as it felt like his groin blew out in his pants in pulsing waves that rocked his senses. Akemi gripped him, letting out an, "Ahh... ohhhhh!" she bucked under him in spasms.

Akemi relaxed, Daniel flopped limp on top of her, both of them panting and spend. Daniel tried to get up, but only rolled off her, onto his side. Akemi turned to him, her face a mix of sweat and bliss.

"I think I ... soiled my pants, "Daniel said, embarrassed.

"Me too," Akemi said with a sleepy smile.

Thinking of going back to the mansion like this, Daniel mused, "We should be naked next time."

Akemi petted his face and said, "Yes, we should."

.

For the last week, Lin had been walking around Sydney, Australia, searching for suitable candidates to interview for the jobs Lord Aono was going to provide. Although it meant being away from home, Lin had gladly accepted the task Lord Aono has requested. Lin owed Lord Aono her life, and the lives of her family. A poor Chinese slave Witch, the Aono's had pulled them out of poverty and abuse, and given them a home of their own. Lin's family their own farm now. Lin would do anything, even gladly die for Lord Aono.

Tired from walking and scrutinizing the masses of people around her, Lin decided to stop at a small waterfront cafe. After all, if she was to find who she was looking for, the waterfront was the best place. It was late afternoon, and the place called "Rkki's' had many customers, mostly high school kids who'd just gotten out of school for the day.

Lin flopped down in an empty booth. From here she could see out the door and the water beyond. She pondered on searching underwater, that was where they would most likely be, anyway.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" a blonde waitress cheerfully asked.

Lin nodded. "Something cold will be fine," she said. Looking at the girl, her eyes widened. Finally! "And, if you would conciser coming for an interview," she added quickly, handing the girl a small flier.

The girl took it and put in on her tray, looking confused. Her face then began to show a trace of fear. The girl quickly recovered and cast Lin an attempted smirk. "This is a joke, right?" she asked with a touch of nervousness.

"No Joke, miss. Lord Aono has told me to ask however many of you I could find, to offer you employment," Lin stated. "Please tell others in your pod."

The girl went pale. She looked around to see if anyone was listening to them. "This is serious?" she asked.

"Yes. Only to those in your pod, and others you can trust," Lin said firmly.

The girl sat down across from Lin. She leaned toward Lin and asked, "How do you know?"

"I am a Witch, I can see the real you. Please take Lord Aono's offer seriously."

The girl stared at her.

"And the drink, please. I am so very thirsty," Lin added.


	9. Chapter 9

CH 48

Satisfied she had made contact with the local mermaid pod, Lin moved on to her next assignment. In order to be able to start a fish farm, Lord Aono had to clear it with the environmental official for the area. Mrs. Roberts-Satori was not in her office, but did return Lin's call. Lin explained how farming fish would ease the strain on the wild fish populations as well as be easier on the environment in general. Of course when Lin asked who would be a good contact to start this new endeavor, Mrs. Roberts Satori recommended Mr. Satori.

Coming to the nice suburban home of the Satori's, Lin knocked on the door. A light haired middle aged woman answered the door.

"Mrs. Roberts Satori?" Lin guessed. "I am Lin, we talked on the phone earlier?"

"Yes, Miss Lin. Call be Samantha, please. Won't you please come in?" Mrs. Roberts-Satori asked. The then called out, "Don, Lin is here."

.

Sitting in a chair across from the couch the Satori's occupied, Lin pulled out a fact sheet from her purse and handed it to them. "This explains in detail the benefits of having farms to raise fish for consumption. As you can see, not only is it less expensive per ton of fish that conventional fishing, it allows the wild fish populations to renew themselves. In New England, they are also talking about a farm solely to help repopulate the severely dwindled Cod population that has been all but been wiped out due to over fishing."

Don, a balding, but happy looking fellow frowned at the sheet. "Miss Lin, these figures you have are incorrect. I've looked into fish farming, beside the requirements here, There is much chemical control required as well as PH control and maintenance costs. It is more expensive to farm fish than it is to go out on a boat and catch them." Sympathetically, he said, "The ten percent of the profits you show here, is far less than what fish farms actually require in maintenance. If you farm in a waterway to save on some of these costs, then you also add extra ammonia to the local waterway, which does damage the local fish population."

Lin nodded, "For the normal method of fish farming, I agree. Mr. Collins and Lord Aono have developed a method that does not require expensive monitoring of the water, of having to drain holding ponds to clean or repair them."

"Miss Lin," Samantha said firmly, but pleasantly. "I'm sure you are not aware of the details, but the environment of any food source mush be closely monitored."

"And if you do not drain the ponds to make repairs, how would you do it then?" Don asked.

"Hire mermaids," Lin replied.

The couple stare at her. Don then burst out laughing. "OH, that's rich!" he got out, then chuckled his way to his feet. Looking out the windows, he asked, "This is one of those practical joke shows! Which one is it?"

The front door opened and a dark haired teenage girl walked in.

Don motioned her over. "Cleo! Come over here, you gotta hear this," he said with another chuckle.

Lin eyed him. "I fail to see what is funny. Mermaids do work," she said. Seeing Cleo stiffen and stare at her, Lin met her eyes.

"Miss, Lin, do you really believe in mermaids?" Samantha asked, wearing a smirk.

"You are not Cleo's natural mother, are you?" Lin replied.

"She's my step daughter. Why do you ask?" Samantha asked.

Not sure how much her family told her about their history, Lin didn't come out and say what she knew about her step daughter. "I take it your family has things which must be discussed."

"We talk all the time, right Dad?" Cleo said much more cheerfully than was called for.

"We do, sweetheart." Don said with a grin. Returning his attention to Lin, he said in a more serious tone, "Miss Lin, do you know any mermaids that work in fish farms?"

Lin nodded. "I do not know them personally, but I do know there is a pod of mermaids working with Mr. Collins in New England. Their first farms are on line, and working perfectly. Mr's Collins will be at the manor this week so you can see for yourself their method of fish farming does work."

"With mermaids?" Cleo asked.

"They must be women in costumes," Don told Cleo.

"No, they are real mermaids," Lin insisted. "Surely once you see them, you will be able to tell the difference between fake mermaids and real ones."

"And where do these 'real' mermaids live?" Samantha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Various places. The pod in New England working with Mr. Collins normally migrates from Nantucket Island down around Long Island and out to the Grand Banks. They were eager to obtain a new food source, since fishing has become lean for them also. As for your pod here, I do not know their movements. I am sure they would find benefit from having steady jobs," she said, looking at Cleo.

Pulling out a flier, she handed it to Samantha. "If you know any other mermaids, please let them know to be at the manor at any of these dates."

The blond from the Cafe burst in, wearing a stricken face. "Cleo, we need to talk, NOW!" she barked, then saw Lin.

"It's not a good time Bella," Cleo said, then changed her mind. "Maybe it is," She went outside with Bella.

"May we be expecting you?" Lin asked.

"Will there be mermaids there?" Don asked with a grin.

"The pod leader and his daughters from New England. That is all I know will be arriving for sure," Lin told him.

"Good," Don said with a grin. "I'd love to meet a real life mermaid."

Lin glanced at the door where the girls just left. "You don't know?" she asked.

"I would like to see the plans of this fish farm," Samantha said firmly.

"Wonderful. Please call the manor so we will know when to expect you," Lin said as she got up. "Next Saturday, Lord Aono is also hosting a party. Please consider coming, and thank you for your time." she said with a bow.

Not knowing what else to do, Don returned her bow and showed her to the door.

Outside, Cleo and Bella were talking quietly partway down the sidewalk. They moved to the side warily as Lin passed by. "Ladies," Lin said with a bow of her head.

Unmindful of the nervous glares she was getting, Lin left happy that she had fulfilled her mission. Now, to the manor and get things ready for the Aono's and their guests to arrive.

.

Saturday morning at the Aono mansion looked like a train station. In the main foyer, people and their luggage collected together. Bored ones like Azami, sat on their bags as they waited. Moka Jr. and Kurumu Jr. sat on their bags staring at each other. Tsukune jr. was staring at Daniel, and making him nervous.

At the arch painted on the wall with mystical symbols around the outside, Ruby stepped in and disappearing. She came back out a moment later. Raising her wand, she announced, "We are ready. Form a line, please."

Everyone got up to get in line. Frank stood beside the arch, and held up a hand. "Security first," he announced, and waved to fifteen orcs who wore their human shapes, black suits and dark sunglasses, with little white plugs in one ear, the wire trailing off into the collar of their jackets. After they went through, he waved for the line to start, and walked through himself.

.

Akasha's seaside manor near Sydney she described as a 'small getaway' was small only by her standards. The two story main house near the water was surrounded by flower gardens and a large, round pool. Each floor was a full twelve feet tall, making the house look like a three story. Pillared marble porches adorned the front and back of the house on both floors. Closer to the water was a single story house. On the shore of the small bay, a dock stuck out between two boat houses. Here and there around the ten acre estate, gazebos were placed at strategic spots by the pool, in the gardens and a few in the woods. The entire complex was wrapped by a twenty foot high concrete wall, the driveway in was blocked by a reinforced iron gate.

Lin was waiting as Frank came through. He directed a pair of orcs to maintain a guard at the gate, four in pairs to patrol the perimeter, and one to monitor the waterfront. The others were ordered to rest, in order to take the evening shifts. He had wanted three shifts, but Moka insisted two were fine. Orcs tended to get troublesome if they didn't have anything to do.

The manor staff greeted everyone as they poured in from the alcove Ruby had set the portal in. Moka directed the boys to the single story house, with Kouta and Lucy as their, 'house parents'.

.

The first thought on Aiden's mind after finding his room, was letting his wolf go for a run. Wearing nothing but his bath robe, Aiden went out to the 'boys' changing room, which was the right side boat house. There was no boat in here, but there was a dock and ladders as well as a rope ladder and a ramp from the water to the floor inside. Hanging his robe up on a hook, he changed into wolf form, nudged the door open with his nose, and took off into the woods to stretch his legs.

Aiden had a good run, he ran along the perimeter wall, then spent a good long time sniffing the ground and smelling the small animals that lived here. Trotting down near the shore, he figured he should be getting back. He then caught a whiff of someone unfamiliar to him. Slowing to a walk, he stayed inside the trees as he searched for who this might be. Almost back to the house, he saw three figures lying on the beach, looking at the house. Crouching down, he kept a tree between him and them so they wouldn't see him. He got down lower and crawled up almost to the three mermaids looking at the house, and listened to them.

"What was this guy's name?"

"That woman who claimed to be a witch said his name is 'Lord Aono."

A snort. "Probably some rich guy from China. Look at this place!"

"They really know about us?"

"She all but told my Dad I was a mermaid! This guy is offering us jobs."

"What, as cheap labor?"

"We won't know unless we go find out."

Aiden and his wolf got a mischievous idea. The three mermaids had no clue he was so close to them. He had to fight to hold back a snicker.

"Someone over there?" an orc guard asked.

Stunned they were being watched, the three mermaid took on frightened faces. Perfect. Aiden jumped out and barked at them, his lips curled back and making the loudest, nastiest snapping bark he could manage.

The three mermaids, faces gapping wide in terror, wailed out screams and flung sand as they hand walked as fast as they could to get back into the water. Only two made it, the golden haired blond fainted before she got to the water. The other two disappeared under the waves with a splash of their tails.

Aiden dropped to the sand, held his paws over his face and snickered at their fright. He knew that one poor girl passing out was his fault, but was still funny. "Rut ro," he snickered. By the time the orc guard got to them, he had recovered enough to get up and let the guard drape the mermaid over his back to carry her to the main house where someone could help her. On the way, he still let out snickers.

.

Bella awoke lying on a couch with a blanket over her. High above her was a white ceiling with gold inlays. She heard talking around her, and sat up.

"Aiden, that was NOT funny! What if this poor girl really hurt herself? You WILL apologize, and you are GROUNDED until further notice!" A man yelled.

"Sorry Dad," a boy said sheepishly.

"You tell HER you're sorry, and don't EVER do something like that again!"

Bella turned her head to what had to be a man scolding his son. Beside her, a blond woman noticed she was awake. The woman smiled. "How are you feeling, do you hurt any where?"

"I was attacked by a ... monster," Bella said weakly. "Don't go down by the beach, that thing is down there."

"That will not happen again," the woman said, and turned to Aiden. "Will it?" she asked heavily.

Aiden looked down "I'm sorry ... Ma'am. I won't do it again."

A beautiful woman with pink hair strode in. Looking at Bella, she said, "Ahh, she's awake. Undamaged I hope?"

The blond nodded. "And dried, so she has her legs."

"Thank goodness." the pink haired woman said. "My name is Moka Aono. Who are you dear?"

"My friends call me Bella, where am I?" Bella asked and checked the large open air room for gigantic canines.

"This is one of my mother's vacation houses," Moka explained. "We are dreadfully sorry about this incident. my husband and I would like to offer you, and any other mermaids you know, employment. I can assure you the pay and benefits will be worth your time," Moka said gently.

Bella was nervous about someone who would be willing to hire mermaids. Before she could say anything, Moka added, "Take your time to get yourself together, then we'll talk. Nora here is an RN, so please tell her if you have any injuries."

"What was that animal on the beach?" Bella asked.

"That was a werewolf. Don't worry, he won't hurt you," Moka replied.

"Werewolf?" Bella asked tentatively, sure she hadn't heard right. "There's such a thing as real werewolves?"

Moka shrugged and said, "Some people don't believe in mermaids either. But as I said, you'll be fine."

"I'd like go, please," Bella said meekly.

"Any time you want," Moka assured her. "Would you like a driver, or would you prefer to swim?"

"I'd rather swim."

Moka turned to a young man wearing a black suit and said, "Mr. Yeager, please see Miss Bella to the dock, and show her the changing room."

"As you wish, M'Lady," Frank said with a bow. He went over to Bella and offer his hand to help her up.

"You're sure you're OK?" Nora asked Bella.

"I'm fine," she said and got up with Frank's help.

"Aiden," Nora said firmly, and flicked her eyes at Bella.

The boy came up to Bella and meekly said, "I'm sorry my wolf frightened you and I'm glad you're OK." Shifting foot to foot, he meekly asked, Can I give you a ride down to the water?"

Nora eyed her son and said, "I think Scooby Do has had enough play time today, don't you?"

Aiden nodded.

.

The next day the three mermaids showed up again, this time at the dock, and escorted by two of the pod leader's daughters. Shown to the changing room inside the left side boat house, they went in and dried off. The pod leader's daughters put on light purple robes, the three local mermaids had their clothes.

Previously, the Don and Samantha Satori had arrived. Tsukune escorted the Satori's into the lounge converted into a conference room where they had a mock up of a fish farm. Barnabas and the pod leader were showing the Satori's how the fish farm operated when the three mermaid girls walked in with Moka.

Don Sartori noticed their arrival. Frowning, he asked, "Cleo, Bella, Rikki is there something wrong? Why are you girls here?"

Cleo froze in place. Weakly, she said, "Hi Dad."

"These are the first mermaids we'd like to hire, Mr. Satori," Moka explained pleasantly. "I'm sure as Pod Leader Karoc, can explain this is a venture that both sea and land dwellers benefit from."

Don stared at his daughter. "Cleo?" he asked in disbelief.

"Fine young maids," Karoc praised, and clapped Don on the shoulder. "And with your daughter right there in the farm, you'll know your interests are being taken care of."

Don glanced at him. "Cleo? What are they talking about?" he asked again.

Picking up on the tension between father and daughter, Tsukune announced, "Perhaps we should wait until after lunch to see if any others arrive before we begin the formal discussion. In the mean time, please make yourselves at home."

"Thank you, Lord Aono," Karoc said, also picking up on the tension between Don and Cleo. Focusing on Bella, he asked, "Would you be kind enough to show us some of your waters, miss? Staying on land for the last few days, we have been feeling rather ... dry."

.

Fearing to let anyone know she was a mermaid, Cleo and her friends were mortified everyone here now knew what they were. Cleo especially. She had been very careful about who discovered her secret. She stared at her father and swallowed nervously.

"Mr. Satori, Miss Satori, if I may," Moka said loud enough to get their attention, and motioned to the second floor balcony outside the room,"The balcony has a wonderful view of the bay, and a good place to have a private discussion."

Cleo nodded. She and Don walked out on the balcony, Samantha following them.

Not believing what he was hearing, Don went out on the balcony and eyed his daughter, waiting for an explanation. After a moment, Cleo spoke.

"Dad, there's something I've been keeping from you," she said meekly. Shrugging, she added, "I never wanted anyone to find out what ... we are."

"We?"

"Bella, Rikki and I. We're mermaids, Dad."

Don let out a snort. Firmly he asked with a wave of his arm, "Is this some kind of joke? It's not very funny, Cleo. These are important people. What's going to happen when they find out you're lying?"

Cleo rolled her eyes. She then pointed at the group heading for the water. "Just watch, Dad."

They watched as the group strode to the water. Karoc and his girls went in the changing rooms. Rikki and Bella just dove off the end of the dock. They surfaced a few seconds later. When Karoc and his daughters appeared beside them, they all dove under with splashes from their tails.

"Oh my god," Samantha breathed as she held a hand to her chest.

Don shook his head. "That had has to be trick. It was a trick, wasn't it?" he asked.

Cleo stiffened herself, held out her arm, and said, "Pour some water on me."

Neither her father nor Samantha moved, so Cleo went in and grabbed a pitcher of water. Coming back out, she said, "Watch." She poured water down her arm then gave the pitcher to Samantha.

"What does this ..." Don said, then halted as Cleo's legs blurred, melted together and grew scales. Cleo yelped as she fell over onto the floor.

"Ouch," Cleo complained and nursed a bruised elbow from her landing. Looking up at her father she shrugged and said, "I didn't think you'd understand."

"This ... can't be real..." Don blubbered as he stared at her.

"Oh and don't go out into the woods here, they have a werewolf, he is big and scary," Cleo added.

Don gawfed. "Oh come now! Do you expect me to believe in werewolves too?"

"Ice cream!" a happy voice called out from above. Kurumu came down out of the sky, a store bag in each hand. She paused and hovered in front of the balcony. Frowning at Cleo, she said, "Oh dear. Hon, I'll get someone to take you to the bay, you really shouldn't change on dry land." She then dropped from sight with another call of, "Kids! I got the ice cream!"

Amid some happy cries from below, Don watched the woman land and absorb her wings. He turned to Samantha wearing a shocked look. "Did you see that?" he asked.

Samantha just gapped at him.

"Dad, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was afraid to," Cleo said with a flop of her tail.

Returning his attention to her, Don asked, "Cleo, sweetheart, this it ... unbelievable, but don't you know I'll support you no matter what?"

"That's why she never does the dishes," Samantha said, understanding. She'd always thought Cleo was a bit odd, never touching water in their presence. This explained her strange behavior.

A pair of winged girls with long blue hair flew up and landed on the balcony rail.

Kaiyo giggled at Cleo. "Have an 'oops'?" she asked.

"Want to dry out, or go for a swim?" Kumiko asked.

"Excuse me, what are you?" Samantha asked them.

"I'm a succubus," Kaiyo siad. Jerking a thumb at Kumiko, she added, "But my sister is gay, so ..."

"I am NOT!" Kumiko barked at her.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too!" a girl's voice called up from below.

"AM NOT!" Kumiko yelled down.

Kaiyo grinned at Samantha and said, "Kumiko was caught with Liz, making out on the back terrace."

"We were not making out!" Kumiko snapped at her.

"Oh, come on, half naked and hugging under a sheet? What do you call that?" Kaiyo asked.

"look you!" Kumiko growled.

"Girls!" Tsukune said as he appeared in the doorway, making the pair fall silent. Offering a smile to Don, he said, "So sorry for the interruption. Do you need assistance?"

Everyone looked at Cleo. Cleo cast them a weak smile and said, "It's OK, I'll dry out."

"Kumiko, Kaiyo, there are plenty of places to fly, swim, whatever you want to do. Go do it." Tsukune said firmly.

"Yes, Papa," they chimed and jumped off the rail to fly in half circle back to the first floor.

"Those are your daughters?" Samantha asked.

"Two of them," Tsukune replied. "Minori said lunch will be in an hour, first floor dinning room. Please relax until then." He then turned and went back inside.

Don let out a breath and said, "I suppose if Cleo can be a mermaid, Mr. Aono can have bat girls for daughters."

.

"Hey, we wanted to swim!" Azami complained as she looked at the frozen swimming pool. On the ice, Moka Jr. Tsukune Jr. and Kurumu Jr. were skating with the ice skates they had made on their feet.

"Join us," Moka Jr. said flatly.

"Can't you do that on the pond?" Azami complained. "We wanted to swim and that is the only treated water!"

"Didn't want to freeze the fish," Tsukune Jr. said as he skated past.

Azami grumbled and stalked away to see a pig tailed blond about her age watching her. Azami stopped and asked, "Who are you?"

The blond pointed to the large swimming pool. "How did you freeze all that water?"

"The selfish ice fairies did that," Azami grumbled. "Do I know you?"

"Kim Satori," the girl said. Then asked, "Why are your eyes different colors? Are you an albino?"

"What's an albino?" Azami asked.

"It means you don't have enough pigmentation in your body. That's probably why your hair is so light colored also," Kim explained.

Azami thought for a second, then said in a mussing tone, "So inner Mama Moka is an albino then. She has silver hair and red eyes. Outer Mama Moka has green eyes and pink hair. I guess I am a mix between them."

Kim cast Azami a smirk. "Inner and outer? So, is like one lives outside the house and one inside? Is your Dad married to both of them?"

Azami eyed Kim, then let out a snort. "You're human, you won't get it, and I'm not in the mood to explain. All I wanted to do was swim, and Ice Princess over there," she said, glancing back at Moka Jr., "Froze the pool."

Looking at Azami's short top and shorts, Kim asked, "If you got your bathing suit on under that, just go down to the water down there."

"Can't, I have to swim in treated water," Azami explained.

"You have a skin disease or something?"

"Yeah, regular water burns me."

"That has to suck."

"Yeah, it does," Azami mussed.

Overhead a giant, person sized hornet buzzed by, trailing a yellow ribbon behind it. Kumiko flew past chasing it, her own ribbon trailing out behind , and another hornet was chasing her.

"Kumiko, behind you!" Azami called. Kumiko glanced back, then shot up in a loop. The hornet behind her rose up, but didn't make the same smooth loop. Looping again, Kumiko got behind the hornet. The hornet bounced and zig-zagged, keeping Kumiko from grabbing it's ribbon. The other hornet came flying back. Kaiyo came from around the house, flying fast, and snagged the returning hornet's ribbon.

"Ya-Hooo!" Kaiyo cried as she flew up, holding the ribbon up in triumph.

The hornet Kumiko was chasing stopped and backed up, forcing Kumiko ahead of it. Kumiko kept flying. Kaiyo turned and came in fast, but the other hornet dropped almost to the ground. As Kaiyo came close, it rose back up and snagged her ribbon. Kumiko then came shooting back and snagged the other hornet's ribbon.

"What are they?" Kim asked, wide eyed as she watched them flying around her.

Azami pointed them out, saying, "My sisters, Kumiko, Kaiyo, and my brother Kashiro's friends, Setsu and Shizu."

"You're brother has wasps for friends?"

"Not wasps, yokai hornets," Azami explained.

"Yokai?"

"I think in the west, we're called monsters," Azami explained. With a grin, she said, "My boyfriend Aiden is a werewolf. He's awesome looking when he takes his wolf form. Wanna see?"

Looking a bit dazed, Kim asked, "Do you have wings, or change into something?"

"Naw, I'm a vampire," Azami said off hand. "Another kind of yokai."

Kim watched the fliers land in a group and put each other's ribbons back on. "Are all your family yokai?" she asked.

"Pretty much. Mama Minori is human ... and ... Grandpa and Gramma Aono are human, so is Papa's brother," Azami told her.

"Where do you people come from?" Kim asked with a wince.

"We live on Witch Hill, but there are yokai everywhere. Most try not to expose who they are. Many humans don't like us."

"We don't have any yokai who live here ... do we?" Kim asked.

Azami eyed her and asked, "You don't know your sister is a mermaid?"

"You mean Cleo?"

Azami nodded.

Kim brightened up. "Really?" she asked in a squeak.

"Her and her friends. Aiden scared the crap out of them yesterday, that's why he can't come out and play," Azami said. She cast a sad glance at the ice covered pool again, and said, "I may as well go keep him company. Wanna come with me?"

"He won't bite or anything, will he?" Kim asked.

"Naw, but he's fun to ride," Azami said with a smirk.

.

Namiri was glad Kaiyo, Setsu and Shizu had gone off to play 'catch the ribbon'. Now, only if she could get rid of Belle. Kashiro was in a lounge chair, reading 'The Art of War'. Namiri sat on his one side, but Belle still clung to his other side. The nerve of that girl!

"Belle?" Namri asked pleasantly, "They are playing a flying game outside, don't you want to join them?"

Belle looked at her and shook her head.

Leaning over Kashiro, 'accidentally' touching her breast to his arm, Namiri coaxed, "I heard it's fun."

Belle leaned over the same way, and rubbed her chest up and down slightly on his arm. "More fun here," she replied.

Kashiro let out a groan. "Hey girls, could you back off a bit? I'm trying to read," he told them.

Namiri sat back, but Belle stayed in place, pretending to read with him. "Interesting," she said.

"You like this?" Kashiro asked.

Belle nodded, casting him a blushing smile.

Azami and Kim, walked through the room. Azami pointed and said, "That is my brother, Kashiro, and two girls of his harem."

Feeling insulted, Namiri said, "We're NOT a harem!"

"We are a flock," Belle corrected, leaning a bit farther over Kashiro.

"See," Azami asked, and led Kim through the other door.

"Can I PLEASE read this in peace?" Kashiro asked, sounding a little stressed.

.

Akemi and Daniel sat on the dock side by side, watching mermaids play in the water. A skiff approached with two light haired young men in it. As they drifted to the dock, Daniel got up and caught the rope one of them threw to tie the boat up.

"Hi guys, I'm Daniel Collins, this is Akemi Aono," Daniel said, greeting them.

The young men looked around. The muscular one said, "I'm Will, this is Lewis. We heard something about a Mr. Aono hiring?"

"Are you mermen?" Akemi asked.

Looking nervous, Lewis asked, "Mr. Aono is looking for someone to play mermen, isn't he?"

Rikki and Bella surfaced on the other side of the boat. "Lewis, Will, what are you doing here?" Rikki asked.

Will looked at Bella and asked, "Where's this huge dog that frightened you?"

Bella pointed to the house. "He said he was sorry," she explained.

"The dog said he was sorry?" Will asked.

"Wolf," Akemi offered. "Aiden isn't a dog, he's a werewolf."

"He's a big one too," Daniel agreed.

"A werewolf," Lewis said, not believing it. Whispering to Will, he said, "I think we've been had."

"Hey guys? If you want a job, I'm sure you can try as long as you can swim under water," Akemi offered.

A bell rang from the large house. They all looked to see a winged, purple haired woman flying towards them. Will and Lewis gapped at her.

"Lunch is ready everyone, come on up to the house!" Kurumu called down to them, then flew low over the water to get the mermaid's attention.

"Mama Kurumu," Akemi explained. "Come on guys, Papa's having a meeting on the fish farms after lunch."

.

"Come on, please?" Azami begged, leaning on Aiden and casting him doe-eyes.

"Yeah, please?" Kim asked. She wanted to see what a werewolf looked like.

"OK," Aiden said, relenting, "But just for a moment. Mom is going to be really mad if she sees me like that."

Aiden went into the bathroom. Scooby-do came out. Upon seeing him, Azami ran up and hugged his neck. Smiling at Kim, she petted the top of his head and asked, "Isn't he awesome?"

Kim stared for a few seconds, then grew a big smile. "He is awesome," she agreed.

The door to the room opened up. "Aiden It's ..." Nora then froze upon seeing him. "Aiden!" she yelled.

"Rut ro," Scooby Do said and retreated into the bathroom.

"It's my fault, I begged him to show Kim what Scooby Do looked like," Azami told her.

Nora shook her head. "Lunch is ready, and Aiden had BETTER be in human form when he comes out!" she said sternly.

"Rut ro?" Kim asked, then both girls giggled.


	10. Chapter 10

CH 49

Rikki was working behind the counter, and trying not to listen to Kim, who was at a table with her friends telling about girls that could fly, meeting a werewolf, and worst of all, mermaids. Obviously, they didn't believe her, so she got up and stormed over to the counter and said, "Rikki, tell them what we saw!"

Rikki looked over at the group giggling at Kim and said, "No, and quit talking about it."

"WHY?" Kim asked with a whine. "Something really cool finally happens here and you don't want to talk about it?"

Rikki waved to the girls and called, "She's just making all that up."

"Rikki! I am not! You were there, tell them!" Kim cried.

Zane had come out of the back room. Hearing Kim he walked over beside Rikki and asked, "Girls, please keep your voices down."

"Rikki won't admit we saw real life monsters yesterday," Kim complained.

Zane frowned at Kim and said, "I'm looking at a little monster right now. You're causing a scene, stop it."

"I know what we saw," Kim countered.

"Hey," a boy called as he came over. Looking at Kim, he asked, "Did you see that flying woman too? Blue hair, wings that looked like a giant bat?"

Kim nodded. "That's Mrs. Aono. Kumiko and Kaiyo are her daughters. So is Azami, but she's a vampire, not a succubus. She's got a bunch of other sisters too, and their brother has a harem," she explained.

Zane rolled his eyes. With a groan he said, "Come on, now you're being ridiculous."

"I am not, tell him, Rikki!" Kim complained. "You were there with Cleo, Bella, Lewis and Will."

"Look at THAT!" a girl cried and pointed out the window.

"It's that flying woman!" a boy yelled.

All the patrons ran to the windows. The ones by the door backed off as Kurumu flapped to a stop, landing on the walkway outside just hard enough to make her large breasts bounce in the red single piece swimsuit she wore. Her wings folded up into her back as she strode in. "Hi everyone!" she said with a wave, and walked to the counter as the entire room gapped at her.

"See!" Kim announced in triumph. Turning, she said, "Hi, Mrs. Aono."

Kurumu paused then pointed a finger at her and said, "Kim Satori, right?"

Kim nodded happily. "Do you remember Rikki?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Kurumu said happily with a wave of her hand. "One of the mermaids." Pulling a folded paper from the pouch on her short skirt, she said, "You have a nice little place here, Rikki. I was wondering if you could fill this list for the party on Saturday." Kurumu handed a flushed Rikki the list.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Zane asked.

"Kurumu Aono. I was flying by and saw the sign. I was hoping it was the same Rikki. Instead of giving a larger restaurant the business, I figured I'd give Rikki's first shot at catering."

Zane moved over closer to Rikki and eyed the list.

"We can do it," Rikki said firmly.

"Wonderful!" Kurumu beamed. Waggling a finger at Rikki, Kurumu said, "Don't forget, you will be there as a guest, so get someone you trust, say that handsome fellow beside you to take care of the serving. You may also use however many of our servants you need to help you. We don't want to see you working, OK?"

Nate, one of the cafe's band members came to the front of the crowd with a big grin on his face. "Kurumu Aono, THE Kurumu Aono of the Flying Yokai?" he asked expectantly.

Kurumu nodded. "That's me."

Nate clenched his fists in the air and cried out, "YES! This is fantastic! Can I get your autograph ... and a picture with our band?"

Kurumu spent the next hour getting her picture taken with the band, other people and signing autographs. She did one last picture, standing in the center of the entire cafe's crowd, her wings stretched out behind them. Finally she had to tell the excited young people, "It has been wonderful seeing you all, but I must be going. Have a fun time, everyone!"

"Give us a Ya-hoo!" a girl cried.

"All right," Kurumu said holding her fist low, "Everyone ready?"

Big smiles adorned the faces around her as they clenched their fists.

"YA-HOOO!" Kurumu cried, thrusting her fist in the air. Everyone around her shot their fists up and let out an ear-busting 'YA-HOOO' with her, then applauded.

Rikki watched Kurumu jump up on the railing by the water, unfold her wings and take off, the crowd went out and waved to her as she flew away. Thankfully, the attention was on Kurumu, and not on Rikki or the fact she was a mermaid. She decided to go in the back room and start filling the order before the attention turned her way.

.

By Wednesday, the press had caught wind of the 'strange events' people were reporting and converged on the area, wanting to talk to anyone and everyone about what they had seen. A news helicopter caught footage of mermaids in the water and televised live footage of Kumiko and Kaiyo in flight, waving to the camera before they banked away. Most of the major attractions in the area had few visitors due to the crowds gathering at the waterfront, eager to get a glimpse and first hand pictures of a mermaid or one of the 'bat girls'. The local police had their hands full with crowd control. Rikki's cafe was packed with people wanting to see Kurumu, or one of her daughters.

While the publicity raged, Cleo, Rikki and Bela all but disappeared. Kurumu went on television to tell people that while it was exciting to see real 'yokai', people also had to remember to respect their privacy, and not try to follow them home, or hound them mercilessly.

Due to the massive public interest, Kurumu agreed to a televised beach concert near Rikki's on Friday afternoon. Since Nate and his band knew all of Kurumu's songs by heart, Kurumu let them play for her. To be as visible as possible, she picked a high dune, and had the band set up there. Even with such short notice, the beach was filled with throngs of people and television cameramen. The water by the shore was thick with boats.

The afternoon of the concert, Kurumu had to fly in to get to the dune, waving to the crowds on the way. Atop the dune, a few policemen waited with the band.

"Greetings, officers," Kurumu said happily as she landed.

One officer with gold on his uniform and looking sternly at her, said, "Ma'am, you have no permit, I'm afraid you won't be able to sing here. This crowd must be dispersed."

Putting on her best smile and adding a bit of Charm, Kurumu said in a sweet tone, "Oh officer, how can I let all these people down? Just this once, can't you see clear to let them have some enjoyment?"

The officer hesitated. Another came up and said, "Mrs. Kurumu, you cannot hold an event on public property without a permit!"

Kurumu used her Charm on him as she said, "But it's not an event. We just came here to practice, and all these people heard about it. These boys here are so excited to get to play, can't you please let them?"

The officers shifted in place as Kurumu cast them a pouting look.

"All right, but just this once!"

"First thing tomorrow, you go to city hall and get a back-dated permit," the other agreed.

"I will be sure to do that, thank you so much!" Kurumu said cheerfully, and gave them a low bow that showed a generous amount of cleavage. "Please, officers, won't you stay? You can watch the crowds to be sure everyone behaves," she added in a sweet tone.

"Yes, we have to ensure public safety," one officer said as his eyes stayed glued to her chest.

"Wonderful," Kurumu said with a happy bounce. She picked up the microphone and scanned the crowds around her. "Everyone listen please! These kind policemen have come to be sure there are no problems and everyone stays safe. I am asking all of you to assist them. Do not throw anything on the beach, keep your garbage until you leave to dispose of it properly. Be courteous to those around you, and do not pack tightly together. Will you do this for me to ensure no one gets hurt?"

A resounding 'yeah' came from the crowds. Boat horns blew.

"YA -HOOOOO! Let's get this party started!" Kurumu yelled holding a fist in the air, causing a cheer to go through the crowds.

Kurumu let the band decided which songs they wanted to play. Obviously, Kurumu expected songs like Yokai Love that she sang at almost every concert but there were a couple she wasn't expecting, like My Family and Forever Young she had done for Daniel's birthday concert. As always, Kurumu whipped the crowd into a frenzy, singing along with her and fists pumping in the air. After eight songs, Kurumu took a quick break and asked if there was anything the crowd wanted to hear.

The requests came fast and furious. Kurumu pointed to one excited teenager holding a video camera. "Give me a request," she told him.

The teenager yelled, "Can you do another one describing your home life?"

Kurumu frowned a few seconds then said, "Another song to describe my home life ... Sure!" She turned and whispered to the band. They huddled for a moment, then began to play

**Sung to CCR's 'Lookin out my back door'**

_Just got back from Oukatu's_

_lock the front door, Ya-hoo_

_Got to sit down _

_and take a rest on the porch_

_Family joy's settin in,_

_pretty soon I'm singin_

_Ya-hoo-hooo_

_lookin my back door_

_Minotars and fairly girls are playin in the band_

_won't take a ride on Yukari's spoon_

_Ya-hoo-hooo_

_Akemi's doin cart wheels, vampires' wearin high heels _

_Look at all the happy creatures dancin on the lawn_

_Wondrous apparitions, provided by our witches_

_Ya-hoo-hooo_

_lookin out my back door_

_Minotaurs and fairy girls are playin in the band_

_Azami takes a ride up on Scooby do,_

_Ya-hoo-hooo_

_Kaiyo and Kumiko, are playin in the sky_

_Give me a bit, I'll be flyin soon,_

_Ya-hoo-hooo_

_Bother me tomorrow,_

_today I'll have no sorrow_

_Ya-hoo-hooo _

_Lookin out my back door_

For an ad-lib, Kurumu didn't think she did that bad. By the applause and boat horns, the crowd didn't think so either. The sun was going down. Kurumu took her bows and found the crowds had grown.

"Hey everyone, it's going to get dark soon so we're going to have to..." The crowd immediately pleaded for 'just one more' With the mass of love and good will from the crowd flowing over her, it was very hard to end the concert but she kept on, saying, "We have to call it quits for the day. Thank you all for coming, I hope you had a really good time. We'll do this again, if at all possible. Have a good night everyone!" She then jumped up in the air, spread her wings and flew away with a "YA-HOOO!"

.

While Kurumu was charming the masses with her songs, Kumiko and Liz walked up to the gate to see Frank, who had taken guard duty there. The first few minutes they had gotten a snack and drink together for Frank, neither spoke.

Kumiko, who was holding a boxed snack for Frank, bumped Liz to get her attention. "Hey, Liz, what's up?" Kumiko asked.

Liz shook her head. "Nothing," she said simply.

"You've been acting strange since you got blown up. You don't still hurt, do you?" Kumiko asked innocently.

"I'm healed," Liz assured her.

"Then what's up? You're not having nightmares, are you?"

"I'm not. Frank is," Liz said quietly. "I heard him last night. He was groaning and calling our names in his sleep again."

Kumiko cocked an eyebrow at her. "I thought he was sleeping down with the other boys in the small house," she said.

"He is."

"Wow, he must have been loud," Kumiko noted.

Liz stopped and cast Kumiko a forlorn look. "You saw into his mind before, Akemi told me about it," she said, then asked, "Can you do it again to find out why he's having these nightmares?"

"Shouldn't we ask him about it first?"

"I doubt he'll tell us. Besides, I think he likes you the best anyway," Liz said, not sounding happy about her statement.

"That's not true," Kumiko said quickly. "When you were injured, Frank was really upset. He stayed right by your side the whole time you were bed ridden. I think he was afraid of loosing you. He wouldn't feel like that unless he really likes you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Talking by the gate got Liz's attention. "Something's wrong," she said and hurried to the gate. Kumiko followed her.

.

On the outside of the gate, two men in brown uniforms, and two police were talking to Frank.

"Sir, we received a report that there are dangerous wild animals being kept here," one of the brown uniformed men said sternly.

Frank shook his head. "The report was in error. There are no wild animals on this premises," he said firmly.

"We have warrant, open the gate," one of the policemen stated.

"Not until Mrs. Moka Aono tells me to," Frank replied.

"What's going on?" Liz asked as she came up beside Frank.

"They want to come in and do not have authorization," Frank explained.

Holding up a paper, one of the police said, "THIS gives us authorization. Open up, or we will arrest you for interfering with an investigation."

"I don't think so," Liz said with a snort.

"Whoa, hold on!" Kumiko cried. "Frank, have you called Mama Moka?"

Frank nodded. "She will be here shortly."

"Open the gate NOW, sir!" the larger policeman said.

"Wait, what are you looking for?" Kumiko asked.

The officer turned to the brown uniformed men. "Get your tranquilizer guns, we'll have this gate open shortly." The officer went back to his cruiser.

"All off duty guards to the main gate," Frank said in his hidden microphone.

"Sir! I will give you one last chance to open this gate," the shorter policeman said.

Seeing the brown uniformed men pulling rifles out of their vehicle, Kumiko spread her wings and flew over the gate to land behind them. "Wait, is that really necessary?" she cried, which caused both men to drop their guns as they turned, surprised as seeing her behind them.

Liz vaulted over the gate and stood by the shorter officer. "I suggest you men calm down and wait," she said in a heavy tone.

The shorter policeman backed away and drew his gun. Liz shot forward and took it from him, then sped over to the other officer and took his gun and the bolt cutters he had. Seeing this, Kumiko grabbed both tranquilizer guns and flew up in the air. "Mama Moka, ANYONE, we need help!" she yelled.

To the side, Scooby Do jumped the wall, Azami on his back. Upon seeing him run down the road towards them, the men raced for their vehicles and clambered in, slamming the doors shut.

"What's with them?" Azami asked Liz as Scooby Do trotted to a stop by her.

"They are looking for dangerous animals," Frank told her.

Azami glared at the police gapping at her through the car window. "Are you calling us animals?" she asked.

One of the brown uniformed men got out of the passenger side of their vehicle. "Miss," he called, "Please, get away from the ... whatever that is."

Azami turned to him. "You ARE calling us animals!" she said angrily.

"Ralm rown," Scooby Do told her.

Azami jumped off Scooby Do. The police car was between her and the man talking to her. She picked up the front of the police car and tossed it out of her way, which spun the car around. At the same time, five orcs, no longer in human form, appeared at the gate.

"Oh shit," the man said weakly.

**"OUT OF THE WAY!"** Inner Moka roared as she approached. Frank and the orcs moved to the sides. With one hand, Moka slid the gate open and surveyed the scene. **"Kumiko, put those down and get inside. Liz, inside, Azami, Aiden, inside, NOW!"**

As they complied, Moka turned to the orcs. **"Human form, NOW!"** she barked. All the orcs returned to looking like black suited guards.

The brown uniformed man outside his car fainted. The police car took off, tires squealing, and in trying to turn, ran into the ditch across the road.

Looking at the brown uniformed man who was behind the wheel of his car, gripping the wheel tightly, Moka went over and asked, "**Why are you here?"**

The man's jaw worked, but no words came out. Moka walked around the car, put the unconscious man in the seat and shut the door. **"Go away, don't come back,"** she told them.

"Monsters," the man behind the wheel said weakly.

**"Yokai,"** Moka corrected. **"Can you go, or do I need to give you a push?"**

The man started the car and took off down the road.

Moka collected all the guns and the bolt cutters. Walking over to the police car, she tossed them in the passenger seat with one of the gapping policemen, then picked up the car up and set them on the road. She didn't have to coax them, they took off with a squeal of tires.

**"Humans,"** Moka grumbled, and went back in, shutting the gate behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

CH 50

In the Sidney city hall, Tsukune sat in the Mayor's office with the Mayor, the Police chief, The Wildlife Officer and the Japanese Ambassador. Rubbing his head, Tsukune slowly said, "All right, let's look at this. Someone saw a werewolf or something, and called in a report about a wild animal. Instead of coming to ask what was on at Oueen Akasha's estate. Your wild life people got a warrant, and tried to force your way in. Is that correct?"

"That is our right," the Wildlife Officer said firmly. "I don't know what is going on there, but our officers came back frightened out of their wits! They also reported seeing a very large wolf a girl was riding as well as ... some very big, ugly men."

"Orcs," Tsukune said, correcting him. That wolf that that was seen was Aiden Levison, and yes, he's a werewolf. He goes to school with my children. As far as forcing your way in, it was never going to happen. We have guards to keep people out for a reason, to keep everyone safe. If you would have managed to shoot Aiden with one of those tranquilizer guns, the trouble would have been much worse. Yokai tend to be rather aggressive when humans point guns at them."

"Gentlemen," The Japanese Ambassador said to get their attention. "I must support Mr. Aono's argument. I must also remind everyone that Akasha Bloodriver's Estate is listed by your own government as a Vampire Embassy, which means you do not have the right to serve a warrant on the property. If you have any difficulties, your government must speak to either Miss Bloodriver, or her representative. Which at the moment, is Mr. Aono."

"Vampires?" the Police chief asked, scowling at him.

"Her name is _Bloodriver_?" the Wildlife Officer asked, wide eyed.

"My mother-in-law, and yes, I am a vampire," Tsukune stated. "Although instead of just vampires, I do my best to represent all Yokai."

"Hold on," the Mayor said, eyeing them. "What you say is true, Mr. Ambassador, but we've always thought that estate was run by some rich guy who liked Halloween. Every year, that land is set up for a Halloween celebration by the staff."

Tsukune asked, "Have you ever stopped to think who pays the bills for the staff and the events there? It is not 'some rich guy', it's my mother-in-law, Akasha Bloodriver. And yes, Halloween is her favorite holiday."

"So that pink haired woman really IS a vampire?" the Police Chief asked. "I took my kids there every year to the house of a real vampire?"

"You did," Tsukune said with a smirk.

The Wildlife Officer let out a snort and said, "You expect me to believe that we have vampires living here in Australia."

"Not living here," Tsukune said firmly. "We're just visiting and helping start some local business. The only local yokai here that I know of is a pod of mermaids. Be that as it may, Akasha's estate is still sovereign soil. If you would like a tour, that can be arraigned, but there will be no more warrants."

"Yes," the mayor said thoughtfully. "Those fish farms , I've heard talk about those. Mr. Aono, you're saying to are here to invest?"

"That is part of it, yes," Tsukune agreed. "There is a much more important part of our visit. You have to remember, besides your fishing fleets that have to work harder to obtain food, the same thing is true of the mermaids and other yokai who depend upon the ocean. Fish populations are becoming less numerous, which is a bad thing for everyone. One goal with these farms is to raise fish for consumption, but also return any excess to the sea. Right now, I've given the local mermaids of the task of determining the best species of fish to raise to help with both of these matters."

The Wildlife Officer was eyeing Tsukune warily. "And where would you get this initial stock of fish for your mythical creatures?" he asked.

"It will be a slow start, buying fish eggs from wild fish that have been caught and breeding them," Tsukune explained. "Raising farm populations enough to start selling the fish, then as the populations grow larger, keep returning the excess to the ocean. It will take a couple years for the cycle to grow enough to return to the ocean, but it will happen. One of the fish farms in New England, in the USA, has already grown to 60 percent capacity on Cod in a year. By the end of next year, they should be up to full capacity."

"And what of these dangerous things you keep at that Estate?" The Wildlife Officer asked.

Becoming irritated at the man, Tsukune eyed him, letting his eyes glow red. In a heavy tone, he said, "I would suggest you do not call my friends and family 'things'. Although I do my very best for human and yokai relations, if anger sufficiently. We. Do. Bite." Tsukune let his fangs show with his last words. The officers backed away from him.

Noting the Ambassador and the mayor swallow nervously, Tsukune got up and said, "We came to help out your economy, the ecology, and the general welfare of everyone involved. Do any of you gentlemen have a problem with that?" Other than a shake of the Mayor's head, the other men just stared at him.

Tsukune bowed and said, "Then, I will consider this matter closed. If you will excuse me, I have important matters to tend to."

After Tsukune left, the Police Officer said, "I've heard tales and new reports, but I never believed it."

The Mayor coughed and said, "Gentlemen, I suggest we treat Mr. Aono and his family carefully. And Chief, keep a watch on them just to be sure there are no problems. Tell your officers their job is to avoid difficulties, and do not antagonize the Aono's during their stay."

.

Frank looked curiously at Moka as they walked back to the large house. "I'm responsible for security," he explained.

"You are off duty for the party," Moka replied. "I don't want you even checking on the guard unless it is an emergency. Your only job will be to go have some fun."

Frank's brow knitted. "Did I handle those officers badly?" he asked.

"Not at all, you did exactly what you were suppose to do," she assured him.

"Then why are you having someone else be chief of your security?" Frank asked.

"No one else is," Moka told him. "I'm just making sure you take the night off. It's your turn to have some fun."

Frank frowned. "I guess I could go clean my weapons," he mussed.

"No, no cleaning weapons, reading or practice. Relax and have fun tonight," Moka said firmly.

Frank had never done that before.

"Now go on, go change out of your suit," Moka prodded.

Frank headed for the smaller house where the boys stayed. On his way, Kumiko dropped down beside him, folding her wings up, but not putting them away. "Hi, Frank, you're coming to the party, right?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, Moka is ... giving me the night off," Frank said tonelessly, not looking at her. Her bathing suit was a single piece, but very low cut, showing the full deep valley of her cleavage. He had to force himself to keep his eyes straight ahead.

"That's good, isn't it? I mean you'll get a chance to dance with Liz and me," Kumiko beamed at him.

"I can't dance."

"We'll show you," Kumiko offered. Leaning forward to try to see the reaction on his face, she added, "It's not hard, and it's fun to slow dance with someone you really like."

That got Frank to glance at her, and blush as he thought about those mounds pressing against his chest.

"So, can we?"

"I ahh, have to study," Frank said in a rough voice.

"I know Liz is expecting to dance with you too," Kumiko prodded.

Frank flushed deeper, her ears turned red.

"If I can," he said, walking a bit faster.

"Great! See you tonight," Kumiko said and let him escape into the house.

.

Kumiko was sure she had the answer to these 'nightmares' Frank was having. She wasn't sure exactly, but she strongly guessed he was not crying out to them for help in his dreams. He was crying out with lust. That made Kumiko happy.

Heading back to the main house, she decided to talk to Mama Yukari before she went and talked to Liz about Frank. After she asked for some of Yukari's help, she had to go tell Liz about what she found out.

.

Azami and Kanae had gone widow shopping and came across Kim Satori with some of her friends.

Kim's face opened up in a big smile. "Azami, Kanae! Hey!"

"Hi Kim," Azami said, returning her wave.

Kim quickly introduced her friends to the pair as they all fell in step together.

"What's that on your head ... are those horns?" one girl asked.

Kanae cracked a crooked grin, "Well, yeah, I'm a Diclonius," she said, like it should have been obvious.

"What's that?"

"Spider mind," Azami said. "Kanae and her family can move things with their minds with these real long mind tentacles."

"Sounds more like an octopus," one girl said with a frown.

Azami giggled and said, "Kanae, the octopus."

"Show us!" one girl asked.

Kanae looked around for something to grab. There was normal sidewalk traffic, nothing stood out to her at first. She then noticed a couple, obvious newlyweds, hauling their luggage out to a car. "Guys, watch that car up here, the one the couple are getting in."

The man and the woman put their bags down by the back of the car. He raced around to help the woman in. Kanae picked up the bags and floated them around the other side of the car, and put them on the hood. The man went back to put the bags in the car. He looked around for the bags that should be there.

"Honey, why are our bags on the hood?" the woman asked out the window.

Kanae lifted them back up and moved them to the back as the man went back to the passenger side.

"Where are they?"

"They were there just a minute ago," the woman insisted.

Kanae set the bags down behind the man on the sidewalk. He walked around the car.

"Hon! They are here on the sidewalk."

The man came back around the car. He scratched his head and went to pick them up. The bags slid to the sides.

They girls broke out in giggles.

The man tried to grab the bags, then got ahead of them, searching the ground for a wire or whatever was making them move. "All right, cut it out!" he yelled as he chased the bags around. He dove on one, pinning it to the ground. The other rose up and fell on him.

A crowd was starting to form to watch the antics.

The man grabbed the other bag and turned it over, inspecting it. The free bag slide up close behind him. He moved to get it, and tripped over it.

"Cut that out!" he yelled to no one. Both bags raced to the back of the car. The man chased them and threw one in the truck. As he threw the other in, the first bag jumped out. He got that bag in, the other jumped out. The one he wasn't handling always jumped back out of the car, much to the delight of the gathered crowd.

"Enough!" the man cried. He held one bag in the trunk, and stretched out to grab the other. It moved, but he grabbed it and threw it in, quickly closing the trunk. Seeing he had an audience, he waved weakly to them and got into the car, eyeing the trunk suspiciously. The crowd applauded and the girls laughed.

"That was cool!" Kim said with a giggle. "Azami, can you do anything like that?"

Azami winced. "I better not," she said as they began walking again.

"Aww come on," Kim begged.

"Azami's right," Kanae said. "Azami is a really strong, someone could get hurt."

"You're really that strong?" Kim asked.

Azami shrugged and said, "Akemi is stronger than I am. Of course, she's a little older too. You wanna see strong though, Mama Moka is incredible! I don't know anyone stronger than her. OK, maybe Grandma Akasha, she is a lot older."

"Your Grandmother?" a girl said with a snort.

"Yeah," Azami said with a huff. "We did a sparing match to show how far I was coming along. She kicked my butt."

Coming upon a section of sidewalk by a bar , they noticed the crowd was walking into the street to get around a few motorcycles as bearded men with mugs of ale eyed them.

"That isn't right," Azami grumbled. Walking up to the men, Azami pointed to the motorcycles. "Hey, you guys, yeah the ones with furry faces. Your motorcycles are taking up the sidewalk!"

The men laughed. One asked, "So?"

"Move them, or I will,"Azami stated.

"Hey you little brat, you touch our rides, and we'll spank your ass!"

Azami cast them a crooked grin. Going over to the heaviest bike, a Harley, she picked it up over head head and walked to the street yelling, "Excuse me!"

The crowds parted for her. She dropped the motorcycle in the street on its side with a crash of glass as the headlight and a mirror broke. She went over and picked up another one. The men stared at her as one by one, she threw the bikes in a pile. Azami then walked over to face the men, hands on her hips.

"SO! Which one of you wanna try to spank me so I can kick their ass?" Azami announced. The men stayed silent, gapping at her. "What? No one?" Azami asked in fake disbelief. Not having any takers, she walked back to her friends. "Darn, and here I thought I'd get to have some fun," she grumbled.

.

Akasha's Estate was getting ready for the party. Mizore made sure the gate guards had the guest list, as did the guards down by the dock. Kurumu's band arrived to set up on a specially built stage by the main house. Unlike the hurriedly set up band on the beach, The Flying Yokai had a full setup of instruments, speakers, and lights. Tsukune and Moka met with the Satori's and Collins' to finalize the beginnings of their fish farms. The Mayor had come with his family, the Wildlife Officer came along only wanting to see what was beyond the gates. He spent his time walking around with his jaw dropped open and eyes wide.

The Wildlife Officer wandered around, not believing the things he was seeing. He watched a pair of large hornets land and turn into girls, who ran inside. Walking around the side of the house, he caught a boy making out with a pink haired girl. As the boy kissed her neck, she sighed, opened her mouth to show fangs, and bit him in the neck, him holding her tight as if this was part of their make out session. Seeing the officer, the girl looked at him with her red eyes, then she licked the boy's neck clean, and they ran off, holding hands and giggling. Coming around to the back, he noticed a music stage being set up. At one corner, a dark haired woman in a pointed hat and black cape talked to a blue haired woman with a set of leathern wings. On stage, a small girl with gossamer wings was setting up her keyboard.

If a werewolf trotted in front of him right now, he would not be surprised in the least.

"Hey, Mama!" a girl cried. Sure enough, another dark haired girl in a witch costume came riding up on a big, nasty looking wolf to talk to the women. They spoke briefly, then the girl pointed her wand and the wolf took off again.

On the huge, covered back patio where the long tables were being set up, a purple haired woman was making ice statues out of nothing with the help of a blond. The air itself froze, and the woman formed the ice into a graceful mermaid in the center of that table, then moved on to begin another in the center of the next table.

He saw Mr. Aono talking to a maid. They hugged and he bit her in the neck as her face showed bliss. The maid left with a blushing smile on her face. Right, Aono and his kids were vampires. The Wildlife Officer decided it was best to focus more on keeping these people in, instead of trying to get in.

.

Kumiko sat in her room on the bed with Liz. In a conspiring tone, she said, "I got the feeling Frank does really like both of us. I'm OK with it, but it is up to you. Do you think you can share Frank with me?"

Liz shifted in place. Dropping her eyes, she said, "I don't know. You are a good friend, Kumiko. You've helped me a lot." Pausing, she shook her head and said, "I don't even know if Frank wants to be ... that close to either of us. You could be seeing something that's not there."

"Those dreams he's been having? I doubt they are nightmares," Kumiko prodded. "Those are dreams of lust. He does want us."

Picking her head up to look at Kumiko, Liz asked in an irritated tone, "And what if you're wrong? Say we go up to Frank and confess our feelings and he turns us down. Or worse yet, turns ME down. Then what?" A tear formed in Liz's eye as she asked, "How could I possibly ever face him again?"

Kumiko clasped Liz's hands. Firmly, she said, "That's not going to happen. I can see it when he looks at you. Besides, we'll have to wait and let Frank confess when he's ready. You two have gone through so much together, I can't see you two not with each other. And yes, I want to be there too." Softly, she said, "We'll get there, Liz, OK?"

Liz looked at Kumiko for a moment, then cracked a crooked grin. "Are you sure you're not bi?"

"Huh?" Kumiko asked, surprised at the question.

Liz broke out laughing. "The look on your face!" she giggled.

Kumiko frowned at her. "Yeah, well, take that!" She dove on Liz, tickling her.

Liz squealed out, and tickle attacked Kumiko back. In their tickle / wrestling match they fell off the bed and thumped down onto the floor.

Outside the door, a voice asked, "What was that?"

"Just Kumiko and Liz making out again," Kaiyo called.

"Tell them to stop fooling around and get dressed!"

Lying on the floor, Liz cast Kumiko a smirk and asked, "No kiss?"

Kumiko grew a wicked grin and replied, "Not unless Frank's between us. And by the way, Mama Yukari made a potion for Frank. We will find out tonight who he likes."

Liz sobered. "And what if it's you?" she asked cautiously.

Kumiko chuckled. "I highly doubt he will say anything to me first. I bet if anyone, he'll confess to you, first."

"And if he does pick you?"

Taking on a more sober look herself, Kumiko said, "I'll tell him, not without you."

"You SURE you're not bi?"

"NO! Liz, you're my friend, and I want to see you happy," Kuiko retorted. "And if he doesn't admit he loves you, I'll ... beat some sense into him!"

"This I gotta see."

.

By five in the afternoon, everything was ready for the semi-formal dinner. The patio columns were strung with paper lanterns between them, all the women were in kimonos or evening dresses, the men split between casual suits and Yukatas.

Frank noted most of the boys picked the light yukatas, so he went with a blue one also. Both Liz and Kumiko picked matching yellow flowered Kimokos. He saw Akemi in her gorgeous black kimono with pink trim and flowers, while Daniel chose a black and silver yukata. They looked like the perfect couple. Kashiro and his 'girls' also had on traditional Japanese wear. The Aussies were easy to pick out in their suits and dresses.

While they waited for dinner to be served, Liz and Kumiko hovered on either side of Frank. Kumiko ensured she got Frank's drink that contained Yukari's 'extra' ingredient.

.

"Thank you, Kumiko," Frank told her as he accepted the drink. It was a mix of juice that tasted really good. "Who made this?" he asked.

"It's just a recipe Mama Mizore made up," Kumiko said. "Like it?"

"Yes, this is good," Frank said, taking another drink.

Although Frank felt odd being in a 'social' scene, the presence of Liz and Kumiko made the event endurable. As he drank more, he found he liked being bracketed by these two lovely girls as they talked to others. He spend time gazing into Liz's lovely eyes as they talked about nothing he could remember. He laughed along with everyone else as Azami and Kaiyo teased Kumiko about being gay.

"I don't think Kumiko has ever kissed a boy before," Azami said with a smirk.

"And you have?" Kumiko shot back.

Azami promptly pulled Aiden close and kissed him as his eyes went round. "Now I have!" she beamed. Which was followed by a few "Woo-hoos!" and Aiden blushing deeply.

"That's not right, like this!" Namiri said, and promptly went to kiss Kashiro. Kaiyo got her hand over Kashiro's mouth, so Namiri kissed her fingers. She then turned Kashiro's head, and gave him a kiss, which he readily responded to.

"No fair, we get a turn too," Belle said.

"Oh please, not in front of us!" Akemi groaned with a hand over her face.

"What? They are boyfriend and girlfriend, right?" Kim asked.

Azami eyed her. "Brother and sister," she said.

Kim twisted up her face. "That's so gross! What about these other girls?"

"His harem."

"Does he kiss them too?" Kim asked, looking at the girls.

"No," Belle said with a frown.

Coming up behind Aiden from behind, Moka Jr. put her head on his shoulder and said, "At least Aiden takes care of us." Aiden's arms pimpled from the contact.

"Scooby, doobie, doo!" Azami said with a sly grin.

Kim eyed them. "Do all the guys you know have harems of girls?" she asked in wonder.

"Only the best," Jade said with a grin as she cast a look at Aiden.

"I like to ride the wolf," Kanae said with a twinkle in her eye.

Frank drained his glass as he watched the teasing. Kumiko grabbed his glass to refill it for him. He laughed as Azami, Jade, Kanae and Moka Jr. sang their 'Scooby-Do' song.

A bell rang. "Dinner is served," a maid announced.

Feeling a pleasant warmth, Frank put his arm around Liz to steer her to a table. Kumiko met them, and cast Liz a knowing smile as she took her place on the other side of Frank.

Seeing other men hold the chairs for their women, Frank seated Liz, then Kumiko on either side of him. Daniel seated Akemi, and a cough from Namiri got Kashiro to seat her and the hornet twins after he seated Kaiyo.

Across the table from Frank, Kumiko and Liz, Lewis and Cleo, Zane and Rikki, and Will and Bella took their seats. Once they were introduced, Lewis asked, "Um, Frank, you're a yokai too?"

"Not me," Frank told him. "How about you guys? Are you Mer people?"

"Just the girls," Lewis said, motioning to them.

"You know, with people knowing what we are, this is freaking me out," Rikki stated.

"Don't be," Frank said firmly. "What you are has no bearing on how good of a person you are," he stated, felling comfortably warm with Kumiko on one side, and Liz on the other. "Take Liz here. Yes, she's a vampire, and I trust her daily with my life. We've spend years fighting together and there is no one I would rather have my back."

"Fighting?" Lewis asked. "You mean beating people up?"

Frank shook his head. "Most of the time it was straight combat, not that we can't fight hand to hand. And Kumiko here, she gets into it and she's like a fighter jet! I seen her come swooping out of the sky, whoosh! She came down, sliced this vampire into ribbons, and was gone before he even fell down! The sniper tried to hit her I think, but I got him."

The group on the other side of the table stared at him.

"Ah, Frank, maybe it's better to tell that story another time," Kumiko suggested meekly.

Frank turned to her. "Why? You were awesome!" Returning his attention to the gapping faces across the table, he said, "You should see them practice. I taught Liz to fight, but what I can do is nothing compared to any of the Aono's do. I watched Liz and Akemi spar, they were so fast you couldn't even see them!"

"So, Rikki, you own a cafe?" Liz asked, hoping to get off the subject.

"Zane owns it. I just work for him," Rikki said, also looking happy to go on to something else.

"We run it together," Zane said quickly.

"It's good you have your own business," Kumiko offered. "Do you all go to school together?"

"Yes, we're all in the same school," Lewis said. "I take it that's not how all of you met."

"We didn't even go to school before we found Kumiko," Liz explined. "Thanks to Kumiko and her parents, we have the chance to learn and life a relatively peaceful life."

Frank noted Liz seemed a bit nervous about their past. "That is very true," he agreed. "Even when we went after Larson, it wasn't just us, but many of the Aono's came to take care of him. That guy was real nasty piece of work."

"But we got him, didn't we?" Kumiko added. "And Frank was the one to chase him down."

"Unfortunately, he laid a trap and Liz was caught in a blast," Frank said sadly. Turning to Liz, he said, "I'm really sorry that happened. I should have thought more about your abilities."

"Hey, I survived, right?" Liz said, casting him a smile.

"Are you guys like mercenaries or something?" Will asked.

"Kind of," Frank mussed. "We go after the real bad guys. We stop the ones normal law enforcement can't stop, and in most cases can't even find." He took another drink of his juice. Man, this was good stuff!

"Do your parents fight too?" Cleo asked Kumiko.

Kumiko nodded. "Mama Moka insists we know how to take care of ourselves. We've never run into the kinds of battles they had to fight, but they want us to be prepared."

Sitting close by, Azami said, "Yeah, our Mamas' and Papa really kicked butt when they were younger." giggling, she said, "Mama Moka and Mama Kurumu even destroyed the wedding hut when they got married! Papa had to dig them out of the rubble."

"Talk about being hard core," Lewis mumbled.

"Sometimes you have to be," Frank told him. "What would have happened to Kumiko if we hadn't gone in and got her out of those chains in the basement? Sure, we had to fight our way out, and Kumiko was the one to fly us up out of the roof. If we hadn't gone in, then who knows what would have happened to her?"

"That was another really bad guy, and a pervert," Kumiko said quietly.

"He won't be bothering anyone any more," Frank said firmly. "And Kumiko is safe. That's what counts."

Liz and Kumiko managed to reroute the conversation on to other things. Since Frank knew little other than fighting, he took less part in it, which gave him more time to eat and sip that excellent juice.

By the time dinner was over, Frank could all but feel Kumiko and Liz at his sides. He offered his hand to help Liz up, noticing how warm and soft her hand was, as well as how beautiful she looked. Not that Kumiko was any less captivating. When he took her hand to help her up, he had to restrain himself from pulling her to her feet and holding her tight. And those breasts of hers! It was all he could do to not open the folds of her kimono just to see a bit more of those luscious orbs.

The band started playing dance music. With some coaxing, Kumiko got Frank to go with her to dance, with Liz close by so she could pick up the steps also.

It felt like one of Franks' dreams, an arm on Kumiko's waist, holding her other hand as they danced together. Things like this didn't happen in his life. He was hardly aware of her words as she instructed him. He only knew he was holding this fantastic girl close. When Kumiko stepped back and Liz took her turn, Frank ached to pull her tight to him and smother her with kisses. Damn, was there a more beautiful woman in the world?

The songs changed. Afraid he was going to start making out with Liz in front of everyone, Frank escaped by stating he had to 'check on the guard'. It was a flimsy excuse, but it got him away from the girls that ripped his heart in two directions.

.

Liz watched Frank go, longing for the close contact they shared. She swore he was going to do or say something to Kumiko when they danced. When her turn came, Frank was looking at her so lovingly, then made an excuse to leave. She went over by Kumiko. "I guess it's not either of us," she said sadly.

Kumiko let out a huff and said, "He's holding it in. He _HAS _to be, but why?"

Azami came over to them and motioned to the dancers. "It's OK for girls to dance together," she said.

"Shut up!" Liz and Kumiko said at the same time.

"OK, geez, I was just saying," Azami said, and went on her way.

.

Frank wandered around behind the stage, staying out of sight. Kumiko and Liz haunted him.

Liz was beautiful, powerful, and the best friend he ever had. He wanted her badly.

Kumiko was bright and beautiful, and pulled at him with a seemingly irresistible force. He wanted her badly.

"What am I gonna do," he groaned as he looked at the ground.

"Hi Frank," Kurumu said as she came up to him. "Problems?" she asked.

Before Frank knew it, he was telling Kurumu all about his dilemma.

Kurumu listened to him, then offered him a smile. "Perhaps I can help. I think I have a way for you to explain to them how you feel, and you can let them decide."

.

Sitting at one of the small, round tables near the patio, arms propping their heads up, Kumiko glanced at Liz. "Maybe if we just jump into bed with him and refuse to take no for an answer," she offered.

"I could never be that brave," Liz mussed.

"Wait until he's sleeping?" Kumiko guessed.

Irritated at her, Liz asked in a sarcastic tone, "Why don't we just tie him down to his bed and have our way with him?"

"Works for me. We got rope."

"I wasn't serious."

Kumiko raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" she asked.

Liz noted Frank had come back. He took a glass from Yukari and drained the glass in one long pull. He then came over to them with a determined look on his face and offered his hands.

"Liz, Kumiko, come with me," Frank said firmly.

They looked at each other and took his hands as they got up. Frank led them over to the closest table by the stage. Kurumu was nearby with a microphone.

"Sit here, please," Frank said, first holding Liz's chair, then Kumiko's. He sat them facing each other. He then went over to Kurumu, who gave him the microphone.

"You ready?" Kurumu asked.

Frank gave a stiff nod. He felt like this was surreal, like he was doing it in a dream. That made him able to continue. He watched Kurumu give the band the signal. He then turned and looked right at Liz as the music started up. They played a tune from REO Speedwagon. Frank sang with all the heart and feeling he could muster

_I can't fight this feeling any longer_

_and yet I'm still afraid to let it flow_

_what started out as friendship has grown stronger_

_I only wish I had the strength to let it show_

_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever_

_I say there is no reason for my fear_

_Cause I feel so secure when we're together_

_you give my life direction, you make everything so clear_

_and even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight_

_you're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night_

_and I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

_I can't fight this feeling any more_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

_It's time to bring this ship into the shore, and throw away the oars forever_

_Cause I can't fight this feeling any more_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

_and if I have to crawl upon the floor,_

_or come crashing through your door_

_Baby I can't fight this feeling any more_

Frank then turned to Kumiko during the instrumental

_My life has been such a whirlwind since I met you_

_I've been running round in circles in my mind_

_and it always seems my eye are following you, girl_

_cause you take the places that alone I'd never find_

_and even as I wander, I'm keeping you in sight_

_you're a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter's night_

_and I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might_

_I can't fight this feeling any more_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

_It's time to bring this ship into the shore, and throw away the oars forever_

_Cause I can't fight this feeling any more_

_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_

_and if I have to crawl upon the floor,_

_or come crashing through you door_

_Baby, I can't fight this feeling any more_

The music would down, Kumiko and Liz staring at Frank. Nervous, Frank winced and said, "That's ... all I got to say." He then went over and gave Kurumu the microphone back.

Liz and Kumiko looked at each other, dumbfounded.

"Was that..." Liz asked.

"It was, don't let him run away," Kumiko replied.

Frank had only taken two steps away from Kurumu when Kumiko and Liz ran up and hugged him from either side.

Liz planted a kiss on one cheek. "That was beautiful, Frank," she said softly.

Kumiko planted a kiss on his other cheek. "Thank you for telling us," she added softly.

Frank was stunned by their reaction. "You're not mad I love you both?" he asked, looking at each of them.

Liz cast him a smirk and said, "If I was mad, you'd know it."

"Yeah, guess I would," Frank said with a grin as he remembered when she had thrown him to the floor and sat on him. He looked at Kumiko. "You don't feel ... "

"Frank," Kumiko said with a sigh. "I've got five mothers. That should tell you something."

Frank slowly rubbed their backs, feeling their curves as he gazed at one, then the other. This was just too awesome. "I just can't believe this is acceptable. I mean, this is a dream come true."

"You have dreams of us?" Kimiko couldn't help but ask in a silky voice.

"Yeah," Frank said with a wide grin.

"All together?" Kumiko prodded softly.

"Well ... yeah," Frank admitted as his grin grew wider and he hugged both of them tighter.

"OK, hold on, Tiger," Liz told him. "One at a time. I do mean, _one_ at a time," she stated as she eyed him.

Kumiko nodded. She pulled Liz close and whispered in her ear. She then kissed Frank and said, "Frank, why don't you take Liz for a walk. She's known you the longest."

"What about you?" Frank asked her.

"I'll be fine. Now go show Liz some affection," Kumiko said, and pushed them off.

It was getting dark. Frank wandered off holding his lovely Elizabeth. "You are amazing in every way," he said sincerely.

"So are you, and Kumiko too," Liz replied with a blush.

Still stunned by their acceptance of his wanting the both, Frank led Liz over to a bench in the side of the house. Sitting down with her, he faced her and took her hands in his. "I really do love you," he said reverently.

"I love you also," Liz said softly, returning his gaze.

"I don't want to ever hurt you, or Kumiko, but I was afraid that if I ever said anything..."

"It's all right," Liz assured him. "I owe a lot to Kumiko. She's the best friend I could ever have. The best friend _we_ could ever have."

Frank and Liz leaned closer as they gazed at each other. The first kiss was tentative. It became deeper. Having to breathe, they broke the kiss with gasps of Joy. Liz leaned her head back, Frank kissed her jaw, then trailed down to her neck. Liz's held him close, her eyes flashed red with passion as he nibbled on her neck. Her fangs lengthened.

"I need you, Frank," she whined. She then opened her mouth and sunk her fangs into his neck. She didn't draw much, just a long slow sip that tasted so wonderful. She wanted to freeze this moment in her memory forever.

"I need you," Frank whispered as he kissed her and held her tight, one hand petting the back of her head.

Sensing they were not alone, Liz looked over to see a brown uniformed man watching them.

Angered at the intrusion to their private moment, Liz withdrew her fangs and licked Frank's neck clean. Silver strands colorer her hair has she eyed the man. Thinking up something to chase him away, she said in a throaty voice, "Oh look, dinner."

The man took off running for the gate.

"Hon?" Frank asked as he pulled back to look at her.

"Nothing, dear, someone was curious. We should go someplace a little more private."


	12. Chapter 12

CH 51

Frank awoke in the morning to someone knocking firmly on his door.

"Hey, Frank! You up yet?" It sounded like Kashiro.

"Yeah," he croaked. He'd had one HELL of a dream last night. It amazed him how real a dream could be. He swore he really did make out with Liz after singing to her and Kumiko. In his dream, he'd taken her out to one of the more remote gazebo's where they kissed and fondled. Liz loved to have him suck and nibble on her neck and breasts. Their making out was so hot, he though he might just catch fire.

Scooping her up (still mostly clothed) he had carried her to the small house where his bedroom was. They sneaked in and once he had the door shut, they attacked each other. Clothes couldn't come off fast enough. Kissing deeply as if trying to eat other, Liz had thrown him on the bed, then jumped on him. In a sexy wrestling match, they got the remains of their clothes off and Liz wrapped her shapely, firm legs around him as he pinned her to the bed with long, deep kisses.

His longing and anxiety melted away as he'd entered her, Liz gripping him tightly. He swore steam had to be coming from their groins as they sighed in lust. He had tried to slow down and relish every second, but Liz and his body drove them to couple faster and harder until he exploded inside her, his mind reeling from the ecstasy of being with his Liz. The second round, Liz had straddled him, teasing him and taking little nips until she rode him to another mind blowing orgasm. The dream was crystal clear as Frank opened his eyes and looked off the end of the bed.

Frank frowned at the floor. He lying backwards on the bed, he head almost off the foot. Instead of being hung up, the Yukata he wore was thrown over the desk. A sock hung from the lamp. Lifting himself up, he noticed his bed was a wreck, the top sheet was torn in half, making up part of the jumbled coverings wrapping him. A pillow lay over by the door.

"What the hell?" Frank asked the room as he saw clothes scattered everywhere.

"Come on, Frank, breakfast then we gotta start getting ready to go," Kashiro called through the door.

Sniffing, Frank smelled his own dried sweat. He must have been rolling around quite a bit during that dream. He untangled himself from the bedding and sat up. He then noticed a shoe beside the bed, right next to a purple cloth in the shape of an hourglass with extended top and bottom tips. He stared at it, trying to figure out what it was. The soft, light padding in the center gave it away.

Those used to be panties. He scanned the room again. This time he saw not only his clothes thrown everywhere, but also noted the bed covers were too mixed and tied up for him to have done it himself. And how did that sheet get ripped in half? No one was in his wrecked bed, but it certainly looked like someone had been there. Had someone come in while he was sleeping?

Frank looked at the panties again. Liz? No way, Liz would never do something like that!

"Give me a minute," Frank called back, and threw on robe and grabbed his clothes.

Afraid to dig too hard to find out who it might have been, Frank quickly picked the room up and not knowing what else to do with them, hid the ruined panties under the mattress. Opening the door, Frank said, "I'm headed for the shower, be down soon."

"Well, hurry up," Kashiro told him.

.

Frank got dressed in his black security uniform, ate a quick breakfast, then went out to check on the guard. Kashiro walked by him. Once they cleared the house, Kashiro touched him in the elbow and said in a quiet voice, "Next time, be more careful. I won't tell anyone, but you were kinda loud last night. Be thankful the Kikumura's didn't come in until late."

Frank eyed him and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Kashiro cracked a grin, "Hey, if it's your little secret, fine. I'm just saying watch out where you do that." He then angled off.

"Do what?" Frank asked as Kashiro departed. Not knowing what the boy was talking about, Frank went on with his morning, dismissing Kashiro's comments. He was felling pretty good, he'd had a fantastic dream. He wasn't going to let anything ruin his day.

The guard force helped pick up the grounds as everyone packed to leave. Frank ran into Liz, who also looked bubbly this morning.

"Morning, Frank," Liz said with a bright smile as she came up to him.

"Hi, liz. You look lovely today," Frank said, returning her smile. Yes, he remembered to compliment her as he was suppose to do. She looked very bright, as if she was glowing.

Liz hugged him and gave him a quick kiss, which surprised him. Lying a hand on his chest, she said with a twinkle in her eye, "Don't forget to pay some attention to Kumiko today, OK?"

"Kumiko?" he asked.

Casting him a smirk, Liz said, "Long blue hair, short, busty? Surely you remember her."

Frank froze in place. The state of his room, the panties. That wasn't a dream, he had made love to someone. Had he made love to Kumiko while he was dreaming about Liz?

"I have to go help Minori and Mizore, see you later. Just don't forget about Kumiko," Liz said and skipped off.

Frank had never seen Liz do that before. Liz didn't skip. She looked to be very happy about something. He almost chased her down to ask if Kumiko had lost a set of purple underwear. Frank wandered along, mulling over what Liz said, and his dream.

He determined he had been dreaming of Liz, and Kumiko had come into his room. He'd ravished her in his sleep, and apparently she had told Liz about it. "Oh shit," he mumbled. That didn't even make sense, because Liz was acting happy. That was, unless Liz was happy for Kumiko. He shook his head, that couldn't be right! In his dream, he'd carried Liz to his room. Unless that part was a dream, and the 'real' part only came after.

Still, he had ravished Kumiko in his sleep, thinking she was Liz. Worse yet, Liz knew and was happy about it. That thought boggled his mind.

Too late, Frank saw the edge of the pool right in front of him as he wandered along. His mind woke up to his situation just as he stepped out over the water. Windmilling his arms and his yelp didn't save him.

**Splash**

.

As when they arrived, the foyer to Akasha's Australian estate was filled with people and suitcases waiting to go back through the portal to Witch Hill. Parents took head counts of their children to make sure none got left behind, the servants double checking that everyone was packed and ready to go except for Barnabas, who was staying behind to help begin the fish farm projects with Don Satori.

Kumiko sat on her suitcase bracketed by a happy Liz on one side, and Akemi and Daniel on the other. Akemi and Daniel held hands as they sat close together.

"I really hope Vicky can talk Dad into letting me come to school with you," Daniel said as he gazed at Akemi.

"Me too. It would be great to have you in my class," Akemi agreed, casting him a loving gaze in return.

Kumiko wasn't sure what they had done, but she knew by the way they looked at each other, they had furthered their relationship somehow. On her other side, Liz had only told Kumiko that she

had a wonderful time with Frank. Returning to their room minus her panties and with a dreamy look in her eye, Kumiko had no doubt they had banged their brains out. That was good, they deserved to have a romantic night by themselves.

With any luck, tonight Kumiko was going to have some quality time with Frank. Seeing Liz was still enjoying her latent high, Kumiko asked quietly, "Frank really rang your bell, huh?"

"Ding-a-ling-a-ling," Liz replied with a smirk. "We'll see how you fare tomorrow morning. I bet you'll be flying loops in the air crying out, 'Ya-hooo'!"

Kumiko saw the object of their affection motioning the first guards through the portal. For how bubbly Liz was, Frank looked to be the exact opposite. He was just as sober as ever, maybe even a bit more so. Kumiko had tried to say good morning to him, and he'd all but ran away from her. He also averted his eyes, not looking at her.

"I wonder why he's not bouncing around?" Kumiko mussed.

"Maybe you need to give him something more to be happy about," Liz said as she bumped shoulders with Kumiko.

"All right, time to leave! One at a time through the portal!" Ruby announced and pointed the way with her wand.

The gaggle filed through the portal and into the Aono mansion foyer. There, many went to their rooms to put their things away. Daniel and Vicky hung out in the foyer with Josh, Nora, Sally and Aiden, awaiting their turns to continue on home. Akemi stood by Daniel, saying their goodbyes quietly to each other.

Kumiko noted Akemi and Daniel hug. Wrapped tight together, he kissed her neck, she bit his. Yup, they were well on their way to be true blood mates.

Frank came up to Kumiko, not quite looking at her. "Kumiko, may I speak to you?" he asked in a subdued voice.

"Sure," Kumiko said. If she didn't know better, he looked embarrassed like he did something wrong. "Let me put my suitcase away ..."

"I got it," Liz said, breezing past and grabbing the suitcase out of Kumiko's hand.

Kumiko smiled and looked at Frank. "Well?" she asked.

Shrinking back from her smile, Frank made a half motion to the door under the stairs. "Ah, through there, please."

Kumiko followed him to the door down to the cellar rooms.

.

Although he was dreading this moment, Frank had to face Kumiko and apologize. He went through the door onto the upper landing of the steps going down into the sub levels and held the door for Kumiko. Kumiko came in and looked at him expectantly.

Haltingly, Frank said, "I ... I'm sorry I took advantage..." He couldn't continue. He felt as if he was admitting to rape.

Kumiko cocked her head to the side. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

Frank tried again. "I shouldn't have done that ... last night," he said more firmly. "It was wrong."

"What?" Kumiko asked with an edge to her voice.

"I am so sorry, I should have never..." Frank's words were cut off as something cracked him on the side of his head in a move so fast he didn't even see it coming.

.

After Kumiko smacked him on the side of the head, she followed as he tumbled down the stone steps. Jumping ahead, she caught him and tossed him clear of the last steps so he wouldn't get too badly bruised. If he thought making love to Liz was wrong, she was going to teach him a lesson!

Grabbing Frank by his collar, Kumiko dragged him to the practice room. She tossed him in to land on the practice mat, shutting the door behind her.

In a stern tone, Kumiko said, "Get that jacket off, and no street shows on the practice mat!"

.

Frank got up, staring at Kumiko. By the stern look on her face, he was about to get his ass kicked. As he thought about it, she had every right. He took his jacket off and kicked off his shoes.

Kumiko unwrapped her kimono and threw in on a bench. She strode onto the mat to face him wearing only a white chemise that her black bra showed through and her black panties. Although she looked sexy, her anger wasn't. Eyeing him angrily, she said, "Attack me."

"No," Frank said automatically.

Suddenly Kumiko disappeared from in front of him. He just had time to realize she was no longer in front of him when he felt his wrist grabbed. He was jerked backwards. His feet blocked by her leg, he fell in a twisting motion to land face down on the mat.

"Now get up and attack me," Kumiko said firmly.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Frank replied in the same tone.

"No, you're not," Kumiko agreed. "Attack me."

Frank shot up and grabbed for her. Kumiko disappeared again in a fast move, appearing beside him to kick his legs out from under him, knocking him down on his back. This time, she dropped down to sit on him and clamp his hands down, keeping his arms stretched out.

"Liz is much stronger than I am. Do you honestly think you'd stand a chance to do anything to us that we don't want you to do?" Kumiko asked as she glared down on him.

"No," Frank admitted as he looked up at her fiery gaze.

"Then you know that Liz went to bed with you willingly, right?"

"Liz? That was Liz?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, that was Liz," Kumiko said, eyeing him. "Liz loves you, Frank. Last night, you made Liz very happy. If I hear ANY more talk about you being sorry for making love to Liz, I will hurt you!"

Flabbergasted, Frank asked, "That wasn't a dream?"

"No." Kumiko hung her head briefly and said, "I think I gave you too much to drink. You were supposed to be relaxed, not zoning out. We wanted you to admit your feelings. We also wanted you to remember it." Taking a breath, Kumiko spoke in a softer tone. "Frank, we love you. We would do anything for you, but we also want affection. I think I can speak for Liz when I say while we greatly admire your combat skills. When it comes to relationships, you really suck."

"Gee, thanks," Frank said, gapping at her.

"Well, you do!" Kumiko stated. "Look, we follow you during a fight because you know what you're doing, right?"

"Yeah."

"I know what I'm doing when it comes to relationships," Kumiko explained. "Liz was ... near suicide before I finally got through to her. We talked a lot, and it took great courage for Liz to admit her feelings for you and act on them. She was afraid, Frank. She was terrified that you might reject her. If you say anything about being sorry you made love to her, you may as well stab her in the heart with a sword! She laid herself bare for you, Frank. Can't you see that?"

"I ... didn't know," Frank said weakly.

"You do now. Accept Liz's love and show her the affection she deserves," Kumiko said, stressing her words.

Frank nodded. "You care a great deal for Liz, don't you?" he asked.

"Her, and you too," Kumiko said with a tiny smile. She released his hands, petting her way up his arms.

Frank watched her smile melt into a soft look. He reached up and petted her cheek. "Kumiko, is it really OK for me to love you both?"

Kumiko nodded. "We love you, so it's only fair," she said softly. Leaning towards him she gently kissed his forehead.

Frank noticed all too well now how warm she felt as she straddled him. Her breasts were hanging right there in front of his face. He reached up and gently cupped one of those large orbs. Her clothing was thin, he could feel her soft warmth through the fabric.

"Ooh," Kumiko cooed softly and pushed her chest closer. Frank slid her chemise up, and magically, it came off. Her bra came undone and flew off to the side letting her breasts hang free.

Holding the back of his head, Kumiko whispered, "Taste me."

Frank gently rubbed her breasts, feeling their contour as he eyed her fleshy mounds. Her nipples pruned up and became hard. Lifting one, he took a nipple in his mouth and suckled. Kumiko cooed out and firmed up her grip on the back of his head. "Oh yes," she whined in a silky tone that made him go very hard.

One hand slowly rubbing her side, hip and thigh, then other holding her soft flesh, Frank suckled on one nipple, then the other. She felt and tasted heavenly. He wanted to get his pants off, he was afraid he'd rip something soon if he didn't.

A voice called out, "Hey! This room isn't for THAT kind of practice!"

Frank and Kumiko snapped their heads to see Azami glaring at them. Beside her, Kaiyo was looking away, as was Kashiro.

Moka Jr. stared at them.

Frank and Kumiko scrambled up, Kumiko disappearing to appear beside her kimono to snatch it up and quickly put it back on. "You CAN knock!" she cried.

Azami pointed to the mat where Frank was getting up and said, "If there's a moist spot there, you're cleaning it up."

Moka Jr. looked at Kumiko and intoned, "Cheater."

Azami snorted at Kumiko. "Yeah, really. What's Liz gonna say?"

"What about me?" Liz asked as she came in.

Moka Jr. pointed to Frank. "Your girlfriend was cheating on you," she said tonelessly.

Frank froze in place as Liz looked at him, then Kumiko. Covering her face as she bowed her head, Liz let out a fake sniff and said, "I'm heartbroken."

"Liz, I'm sorry!" Frank cried. His mind raced, had Kumiko lied to him about being able to love them both? Has he just cheated on Liz the day after he'd made love to her ... and remembered it only as a dream? Kumiko was right, he sucked when it came to relationships.

"Not you dummy, her!" Azami scolded.

"But," Frank said, then stopped not sure what to say. He'd thought Liz would be all right with him making out with Kumiko also. To Kumiko, he asked, "But you said..."

"All right!" Liz said firmly, pointing a finger in the air in a grand gesture. "There is only ONE solution to this!"

Seeing her stern look, Azami asked, "Please don't kill my sister."

"No!" Liz stated. She paused for a moment then stated firmly, "My honor and sanctity must he upheld so therefore," Thrusting her pointing finger at Frank, she said, "YOU must be our boyfriend!"

"WHAT?" everyone including Frank cried. ( He got caught up in the moment)

"Yes! Frank must agree to be our boyfriend and show affection ONLY to myself and Kumiko!"

Kashiro frowned and said, "That doesn't seem like much of a punishment."

Behind Kashiro, Belle pointed to him and said, "Then YOU must be our boyfriend!"

Kaiyo spun on her and yelled, "Hey! He does NOT!"

"Maybe that is a punishment," Kashiro grumbled, correcting himself.

"He was in bed with me, and he fondled me too," Belle stated.

"Slut."

"Bitch."

"I'm the only other one authorized to be in bed with Kashiro," Namiri stated.

"Since when?" Kaiyo asked.

"You said so," Namiri countered.

"I did NOT!" Kaiyo cried, red faced.

"Did too, we agreed," Namiri countered.

"I'm the real wife," Belle stated.

Kaiyo glared at Liz. "See what you started?" she asked heavily.

"She started it," Moka Jr. said, pointing to Kumiko.

"Back stabber," Kaiyo growled at Kumiko.

Kumiko gapped at her. "What did I do?"

"You cheated on your girlfriend," Kaiyo spat back.

"I DID NOT!"

"Such rejection," Liz said sadly as she curled her lip in a frown.

Liz turned and walked out. Frantic that Liz was upset, Kumiko and Frank bolted after her, leaving the argument that was heating up.

Frank noted Liz drop to her knees in the hallway as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her head was bowed, breath hitching. Frank on one side, Kumiko on the other, both dropped to their knees on either side of Liz, each put an arm around her to comfort her.

Liz tipped her head back and laughed out loud. She put her arms around their necks and pulled them to her. "That was GREAT!" she giggled.

"Liz," Frank gasped as he tried to breath in her tight hold.

Liz planted a kiss on Frank's head, then one on Kumiko's head before she released them. She then chuckled her way to her feet.

"But," Frank started, and had no idea what to say. He had no idea what was going on. Was Liz sad or happy?

"Sorry, but they are too funny," Liz said with a snort.

"You're OK, right?" Kumiko asked, still looking at Liz with concern.

Liz nodded. "Out of curiosity, why did you two come down here?" Liz asked, and looked at each of them.

Frank swallowed. He thought about explaining, then decided on, "I was being stupid," he said.

"Yeah, you were," Kumiko agreed.

"Just be honest," Liz told him. Hearing the arguing behind them in the practice room, Liz grew a crooked grin. "I bet I can get them to fight matches over who gets to sleep with Kashiro," she mussed.

"What about us?" Frank asked, still feeling confused.

Liz patted Kumiko on the back and let her arm settle across Kumiko's shoulders. "Let's let Kumiko worry about that. She knows what she's doing. I didn't think I could ever share you with anyone, Frank. If it was anyone besides Kumiko, I would probably have ripped her head off. The thing is Kumiko really cares about both of us, and she has saved my life and my sanity." Liz cupped Frank's cheek and gave him a kiss. "Now, you two go spend some time together, and I'll go see how much trouble I can stir up in there," she said, glancing back at the door where Kaiyo's voice wailed out that Kashiro was hers.

"I love you, Liz," Frank said without thinking.

"And I love you," Liz replied. Casting her smirk at Kumiko, she said, "Maybe I am bi." Liz then walked back to the practice room.

"Huh?" Kumiko asked, watching Liz go in.

From inside the practice room, Liz loudly announced, "All right! Let's see who has the will to take Kashiro as a husband! Ladies, pair up for one fall matches!"


	13. Chapter 13

CH 52

Kaiyo was very thankful for all the training Mama Moka had them do. She faced off against Belle and won, then trounced Namiri. Namiri was slippery and fought hard, but Kaiyo ended up slapping her back down hard on the mat. Neither hornet girl was much of a challenge for Kaiyo, who was fighting like a wildcat to keep Kashiro.

Azami and Moka Jr. watched the matches and 'refereed' as Liz made the match ups. After Kaiyo won the one fall matches, Liz announced another round to see who was going to be Kashiro's mistress.

While Azami routed them on, Kashiro sat trying to ignore the display. Liz then talked them into 'pairs' matches in which the hornet girls working together, beat Namiri and Belle.

By the time they were suppose to leave to return to Yokai Academy, all the girls were tired and sore. Kashiro helped a limping Kaiyo to Yukari's magic room. Azami walked between the hornet girls, an arm around each as they hobbled down the hallway. Liz escorted Belle and Namiri, staying between them so they would not keep fighting with each other for the coveted 'mistress' title.

.

At Kashiro's cabin, the Kappa sat munching down the last lamb leg as the brute lay passed out, sleeping on the floor. All around the cabin, orcs and hobgoblins slept or routed around, looking for anything good to take. They had concluded whoever was here had fled, leaving them the cabin and it's contents. Their weapons were stacked in corners for ready use if anyone dared return.

The Kappa finished the last of his snack and tossed the bone at the fireplace where it fell on the floor with the other garbage. Curling up on the couch, he drifted off, wondering if they should go looking for those girls. "Wish I had a tasty girl," he mumbled.

.

In Yukari's magic room, Kashiro and the others looked through the portal at the home invaders.

"I'm gonna kill'em!" he growled quietly.

"Agreed, but we need to be smart about this," Liz coaxed. "See those weapons in the corner? I have a plan."

.

The Kappa awoke to find someone had grabbed his ankles in an iron grip. He looked up to see Liz grinning wickedly at him.

"Wakey, wakey," she said, then picked him up over her head to slam him on the floor, threw him over her head in an arc, and slammed him down again. Four overhead slams and two growing blood spots on the floor later, and the Kappa stopped crying in pain.

The brute awoke to the feeling of flying, right into a tree. The tree broke and fell on him. "Come on big guy, let's see what you got!" Azami announced.

Setzu and Shizu stung the sleeping hobgoblins then grabbed man catchers and immobilized the orcs while Kashiro ran through the cabin, kicking and punching crreatures with devastating blows. The limp Kappa, Liz flung out the door, then kicked a hobgoblin trying to escape to send him flying out through a wall to hit the brute that was getting up to face Azami. One orc grabbed a weapon and got behind Setzu, set to crush her skull. He was attacked from behind by a large raven. Belle, in raven form, pecked into the back of his neck and pulled out a ghostly orc, and flew a brief distance with the spirit before it disappeared. The Orc dropped dead.

"Hey! This one's mine!" Azami complained as the brute was hit by the body. Seeing another body flying at her, Azami kicked him in the air to go flying off in the distance. The brute got up and charged with a nasty growl. Azami charge him and jumped up to kick him in the face, sending him tumbling away over the trees. "Yeah!" Azami cried with a clenched fist. "Who's next?" she asked with a wild gleam in her eye.

The surviving creatures who could, fled for their lives from the onslaught. Only the 'caught' orcs held by their own man catchers were left. They were dragged out around to the back of the cabin, then Azami, Liz, and Kashiro took turns flinging the orcs around by the handles of the man catchers, seeing who could throw an orc the farthest. Liz won, they saw the distant splash out in the ocean where the orc landed.

Inside, Kaiyo sat in tears as she surveyed their wrecked home. The front wall had a large, jagged hole in it with a few pieces of log hanging down, the furniture as well as the door were broken pieces of wood scattered all over, garbage was everywhere, and the kitchen was destroyed.

Setzu tapped Kaiyo on the shoulder. "Help us clean up," she said.

"They ruined our house!" Kaiyo complained.

Shizu frowned at her. "Our hive, not theirs. We made it, we will clean it up. Come help."

While Setzu, Shizu, Kaiyo and Namiri began picking up the mess, Kashiro got to work repairing the wall as best he could. Belle returned and remade her warning perimeter, enhanced by Yukari's magic. Liz and Azami went out to patrol the area for any remaining creatures.

As they walked along, searching for anything moving, Azami asked, "So what's up with you and Kumiko anyway? I though you were a couple?"

"Trio," Liz explained. "As I said, Frank is our boyfriend. Kumiko means a lot to me, and so does Frank. What's up with you, your friends and Aiden?"

Azami shrugged. "He's our friend."

Liz eyed her. "And this 'riding the wolf' thing?" she asked.

Azami blushed and said, "That's just fun."

From some bushes, a hobgoblin jumped out with a screech, claws out. Liz kicked him, sending him flying off into the treetops . She glanced a Azami. "You know, fun like that usually means people are more than friends."

"What?" Azami asked defensively. "It's not like we force him or anything."

Liz shrugged and said, "I'm no expert, but maybe you should be doing that only with someone who really means something to you?"

"He does! I like Aiden," Azami stated.

"Like, really like him?"

"He's a good friend."

The brute staggered towards them, holding his bleeding mouth. Upon seeing the pair of vampires, he turned and fled.

"Chickenshit!" Azami called after him.

"He knows he can't win," Liz mussed. "Too bad others aren't as smart."

"We showed them their places," Azami said with conviction.

Liz chuckled. Seeing something lying on the ground, they walked up to the Kappa who's head was split open. "Like this one," she said.

Azami looked off toward the cabin. "He's gonna smell worse after a day or two."

"Yeah," Liz agreed. She grabbed the body and flung it father off into the woods.

"Think that's far enough?" Azami asked.

"If not, someone will bury him or eat him."

"You know, that was a mean trick you pulled on Kashiro's harem," Azami said with a grin.

"Yeah, but it was fun to watch," Liz mussed.

"Yeah, it was."

.

Kumiko coaxed Frank to come help her unpack. The first thing Kumiko did, was put the 'dirty' kimono she was wearing in the hamper, and walked around with only in her chemise and panties. Frank handed Kumiko the clothes to put away out of the suitcases. He did so, watching her closely, paying attention to her long, shapely legs and those breasts that quivered and swayed under the thin cloth. The cloth was brushing her nipples, causing them to poke out.

Kumiko cast him a smirk. "See something you like?" she asked as she gave an extra chest wiggle as she shut her dresser drawer.

"Yeah," Frank breathed.

Kumiko giggled. Leaning against the dresser, she brushed her hands down her sides in a very sexy way. Casting him a pout, she said. "I feel dirty, I should go take a shower, but I need someone to wash my back."

Without thinking, Frank asked, "Does Liz usually do that?"

Kumiko frowned at him. She tried again. Walking towards the bathroom, she feigned weakness. "I don't even know if I can stand up that long." She stumbled towards Frank.

Frank caught her instinctively around her middle. Kumiko leaned into him. "Won't you help me?" she asked softly, casting him big doe-eyes.

Holding her so close, Frank couldn't answer. All he could do was gaze down on her and feel the soft girl in his arms. Slipping a hand up he lifted a breast as he kissed her. Kumiko responded with a soft moan, leaning into him. Slowly she turned to hug him back as their kissed deepened.

Kumiko was reveling in the luxurious kiss, wanting to to go on forever. Even as she thought this, she realized she was kissing hims square on the mouth. A Charming, life draining kiss. She felt a surge of panic and broke the kiss.

"Frank, I'm sorry!" she cried as she pulled back.

Frank looked at her, confused. "For what?"

Frank was looking at her concerned, but he didn't look weak. "Do you feel, OK?" she asked meekly.

"Fine," he said eyeing her. He then offered, "If you don't want to ..."

"No! That's not it!" Kumiko said quickly. Cautiously, she asked, "Are you my love slave?"

Frank chuckled and said, "If that's what you want, we can play that game."

"Do you love Liz?" she asked tentatively.

Frowning at her, he said, "You know I do. Why do you ask."

"It's just ... I was afraid I may have made you my slave," Kumiko said meekly.

Frank laughed. Dropping to one knee, he held her hand and kissed it. "I shall be your love slave tonight ... mistress," he announced with a grin.

He wasn't Charmed. He wasn't Charmed! Apparently, Frank was somehow immune to the succubus Charm. He thought it was a game. That meant Kumiko didn't have to hold back. She didn't care why he was immune. "Ya-hooo," Kumiko cried, and planted his head in her breasts in her joy. She then dropped down to kneel with him and smothered him with kisses. Wrapping tight together in a hug, they fell to the side, ignoring everything but the deep kiss they tried to inhale each other with.

"Should I prepare you for your bath, my mistress?' Frank asked with lust in his eyes.

"Please," she asked in a silky voice.

Frank got Kumiko up off the floor and scooped her up to carry her into the bathroom. He sat her down on the edge of the tub and got the water started. Frank then knelt in front of her and held her by the hips as he kissed her bare belly.

"Ooh!" Kumiko gasped as she held his head.

Slowly, Frank kissed his way up the left side of her body, lifting her chemise off. He kissed up the center of her chest, moved over to kiss and suckle one breast, then across her chest to sample her other breast, then worked his way down again as Kumiko shivered in delight. Kissing down her right side, he moved her panties out of the way as he kissed and slowly stroked her thigh, lightly feeling her contour.

"Ohhh, yes," Kumiko sighed as she leaned back, holding onto the other side of the tub. She brought her legs up to wrap around him to help hold herself in place. Frank kissed down the inside of her thighs. He paused long enough to strip down, then returned to kissing the inside of her other thigh, working towards her groin.

Kumiko was panting with lust. She tried to move to accommodate Frank and gripped his head with one hand. Her other hand slipped. "Ahhh!" she cried as she fell backwards into the water.

Bend in half with her legs in the air, Kimuko saw Frank gapping at her. "Are you OK?" he asked.

Kumiko laughed and struggled around with Frank's help. As he was helping her, she yanked into the bath with her, sending water everywhere. Climbing up to straddle him, Kumiko sported a wide grin and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you drown. I got flotation devices!" She then wiggled her breasts in front of him. They both laughed. Looking into each others eyes, their laugh quieted to a chuckle, then they came together in a breathtaking kiss.

.

Liz returned to the Aono mansion with Azami, thankful they had gone with Kashiro and his harem. If Liz and Azami hadn't been there, those kids could have been in for a tough time.

Without thinking about it, Liz went up to the room she shared with Kumiko. Entering the room she heard Kumiko cry out. Being in a battle mindset, Liz keying in on where the noises were coming from. She eyed the bathroom door, ready to barge in and slaughter whoever was hurting Kumiko.

"Ahhhh ... Frank..!" Kumiko's soft cry drifted out to her.

Liz froze. That was no cry of pain. Hearing Frank's responding cry of lust, Liz stared at the door. Her fists clenched. Even as she became angry, she knew this was what she had agreed to. Kumiko was only taking her turn with Frank. Frank was only loving Kumiko just like she herself had told him to.

Feeling dazed, Liz sat on her bed, staring at the floor with red eyes. She knew they were doing nothing wrong, but it was suppose to be HER in there with Frank. Once again, she was feeling an overwhelming urge to break in there and pound Kumiko into jelly. Maybe rip her arms and legs off and stomp those big tits of her flat.

Hugging herself, Liz struggled against harming her friend, the one who had been by her side and had saved her life and sanity. Happy sounds drifted to her ears, giggles and laughs. They were really having fun in there. Without her.

The door finally opened and Kimiko strode out, a towel wrapped around her. "Liz, you're back!" Kumiko said happily.

"Hi, Liz," Frank added happily.

Liz didn't dare look, she kept her gaze riveted to the floor.

"Liz?" Kumiko asked, and came over to sit across from her on Kaiyo's bed.

"Liz, what happened?" Frank asked as he sat beside her.

For some reason, Liz wanted to belt Frank a good solid one. At the same time, she didn't want to ever hurt Frank. The mix of emotions inside her caused her to quake in place. "I don't know if I can do this," she said in a hollow tone.

"You mean ... us?" Kumiko asked meekly.

Frank hung his head. In a subtle tone, he said, "Liz, you tell me. What do you want?"

Quaking and with mixed emotions roiling around inside her, Liz said, "I ... I do want you to be happy, Frank. I do ... love Kumiko too. But just now, hearing you in there ... I felt angry ... like I should have been in there! I know we agreed to all be together, but I felt so ... left out!"

All three were silent as a tear dripped down Liz's face.

Frank broke the silence. "I'm sorry. No more," he said firmly.

"But I don't want it to end," Liz choked out. Gripping her head, she cried out, "I don't know what I want!"

"Hey, Liz?" Kumiko asked softly. She waited until Liz looked at her with her tortured gaze. "I don't want you to ever feel left out. Friends don't do that to each other. I know you said 'one at a time', and you meant it. Maybe you should think about that a bit more. Like Frank said, we'll do whatever you want. I'll get dressed and make you a bath. So you think about it, and tell us what you want."

Liz watched Kumiko get up and go over to her dresser. As Kumiko passed by Frank in her vision, Liz refocused on Frank.

Casting her a sympathetic look, Frank said, "Whatever you want, Liz."

Liz bit her lip. Once again, Frank and Kumiko were doing their best for her. She wanted to answer them, but at the moment, she really didn't know what she wanted.

.

The Father of Lies, the Devil, Satan, Beezlebub, Mammon, Lucifer, he had as many names as there were societies that feared him. The part that he thought was funny though, was that very few people believed in him. That is also what gave him his power.

The ones who did truly believe in his existence, he toyed with endlessly. They were so eager to put the label of 'evil' on those who they had reason to be rid of. With a little nudge, their own hate and intolerance became the engine to fulfill slaughter. Be it one religion against another, or even different factions of the same religion, He had always been successful at say, pitting the Roman Catholics against the Greek Orthodox and the Shiites against the Suni. It was quite humorous when one group would slaughter another in the name of their 'God' while they were doing His biding.

Yes, certain individuals did cause much hate, agony and despair that he reveled in. He would always shout out a 'Seig heil' in a laughing fit. Governments who thought they were doing the 'right thing' also made him smile at the carnage they caused in the name of 'justice'. Still, none of them compared to organized religion for fulfilling his goals of chaos and agony for all.

The big surprise recently though, was the man made idiocy being born. The complex mass of circuits and IC's called Skynet was the crown jewel of chaos and agony. He took special pleasure in gently prodding the scientists to perfect this project. By coaxing their thoughts to focus on 'efficiency', he made sure they didn't ponder any thoughts about giving their machine any moral instructions. He was sure the project would turn out well. For Him.

Blinders in thought were one of his potent weapons. Focusing on how to attack, and ensure Skynet's own survival was paramount, was what these scientists and engineers were working so hard at. They worked tirelessly so this machine would be an effective protector. Ha ha he, those men were blind. They would be so surprised when their creation turned on them.

The best thing about Skynet was it's intelligence. Once this thing went 'online' He was going to be immersed in an orgy of agony, fear, and misery this bright, new machine was going to cause. Billions dead, even more in endless torment for many years to come. It was enough to make him cry in joy.

He has lost some ground in a few dimensions. The most disappointing was the Yokai worlds. He had been sure a huge, never ending conflict was going to blossom on those worlds. On one, the few Yokai who could cause such delicious devastation merely left for the other Yokai world. The fear and hate caused by them was no more pleasurable than a teenage boy looking at a girl in a bikini. Nice, but nothing to keep his interest for long. Not even a thousand had died screaming in agony. The smallest dictators did better than that! Even in the other world where Yokai were everywhere and it was looking good for mass chaos, the impossible happened. Yokai and humans were engaged more and more in tentative peace and cooperation that was spreading like an anti-plague.

Peace and cooperation - it made Him want to puke in disgust.

Worse yet, that trend was still growing. Some things just did not turn out like he wanted them to. Once his crown jewel had obliterated all hope on one world, he would guide it to others to continue the wonderful orgy of destruction it was going to work so tirelessly at. Skynet would develop trans-dimensional travel in time. He would poke at it's circuits and ensure it did. For it's own survival, of course.

.

The dark force commonly known as evil was not the only force that noticed the coming birth of Skynet and foresaw the havoc it could wreak. The one who wanted worlds to live in peace, joy, and growing wisdom and spirituality also sought to lay his Hand on the new child of evil – but in this case to smite it. Like evil, this one too has his minions. Unlike evil, this one's followers many times knew who it was they served. Others didn't. Some, like Tsukune Aono, Akashiya Moka, and John Conner, toiled relentlessly to defeat evil and make everyone's life better because they themselves were children of light. Still others helped to a lesser degree, assisting directly or indirectly with their own efforts.

Through small subliminal suggestions to keep a young yokai girl away from her lover/ brother, He made Skynet known to the Yokai world. Due to this, the machine girl, Cameron, had discovered the key to defeating Skynet and preventing the mass destruction Skynet would render.

Unfortunately, as of yet, John Conner and his allies had not found Skynet, nor did they know when to strike the fatal blow, and time was quickly running out. They needed help. Help that possessed more power than anything within the world Skynet was growing in.

Somewhere in the dimension where yokai resided, a simple message was sent. A loyal worshiper had a nightmare that seemed all too real, and frightened the person enough to awake suddenly in a cold sweat. As this person awoke, eyes wide with fear, on the other side of the world an ancient power was also treated this brand new nightmare.


	14. Chapter 14

CH 53

Chris Tappan walked up the hill towards the Aono mansion with his wife Nana and their little girls. Eleven year old Nina and nine year old Miki had the same purple hair and horns as Nana did. Thankfully, both girls seemed to be aging normally. He watched the girls skip and play, happy to be go seeing their friends. Chris himself had not seen the Aono's in a while outside of various services, weddings, and funerals, the latest being Mother Angela, who's passed away peacefully in her sleep at a ripe old age. With Mother Angela's passing, all the duties of the church had fallen onto Chris' shoulders.

For living in a fairly peaceful place, Chris kept busy with the church, after school events with children, young adults, and his own family. Even though he loved Nana with all his heart, and they were still full of lust for each other, many times they would finally get to bed only to pass out in each other's arms. That was fine, his life was fulfilling, and he had the most beautiful and dedicated wife he could possibly ask for. He felt blessed and at peace. Except for last night.

The nightmare Chris had experienced was crystal clear in his mind. The beginning if the dream was nice. He was standing on a hill outside a thriving metropolis. The long grass he stood in waved gently with a breeze, the cool wind gently caressing him. In the city below, people went about their business, a solid line of cars on a highway moved along, every once in a while a honk would sound from an irritated driver. Overhead in the blue skies, a large flight of birds formed a living cloud that rolled along, changing shape like the entire flock itself was a living organism.

Then he felt something he could only describe as evil in the distance behind him. Chris turned to look and saw white contrails rising up in the air as if long fingers were reaching up for the shy. The smoke behind the trails solidified into shiny steel columns. The craft, which he now suspected were missiles, arched high over head, rising so high he couldn't easily see them any longer. Even so, he was able to track their flight as dozens raced off for the horizon.

Coming from over the horizon, dozens more missiles came towards him. Streaking higher than he should be able to see, the missiles came on, a few began to drop towards the city below.

A very bright flash, like the sun itself appeared over the city. After the flash, a pale, white concussion wave raced out, flattening buildings and sweeping cars from the road. The concussion wave raced past him, flattening grass, tearing some up, and started fires from the intense heat o the bright light. Smoke rose from the city, then came the orange glow of fires everywhere. Another wave came at him from behind. This wave raced back towards the city. The giant explosion over the city turned dark orange, and smoke raced up to roil the darkening, expanding cloud into a mushroom shape that covered the land and blocked out the sun as the winds fanned tall spikes of flames on the ground.

Chris' ears were assaulted by the cry of millions of voices, from shock and pain. A multitude of agonizing cries assaulted his ears. Despite the smoke and debris, Chris could see everything happening in the city below. Then came the bright metal monsters that reflected the glow of the hellish fires below. Bearing red eyes themselves in their skull like heads, the bipedal skeleton like things walked amid the badly wounded and dying, shooting every person that wasn't already dead. Walking along, the machines gunned those who were in shock and those who tried to run. The badly wounded were stepped on, exploding their skulls. Pleas for mercy went unanswered as the metal things killed everyone who moved, and tried not to. One of the monstrosities looked at him with a metallic grin.

It was then he'd woken up.

Chris paused in his steps as he winced from the sheer feel of agony he'd experienced in his dream. He swore he had felt the people dying en-mass around him.

"Chris?" Nana asked, looking at him with concern as she held his hand.

Chris offered her a gentle smile. "I'm fine, my love. We must see Lord Aono," he said.

.

Ever since Tsukune had known Chris, he knew there was something special about the him. Chris Tappan was a witch, but he also ran the Christian church now that Mother Angela was gone. Chris was very devout, and yet was capable of impressive magic. When Chris came to him and explained about his nightmare that seemed so real and told it in such detail, Tsukune knew there had to be something to it. This wasn't just a dream, he felt deep down this was a premonition.

The problem was, neither Tsukune nor Chris had any idea what this premonition could mean, other than mass destruction. Calling an emergency session of the Witch Hill Council, Ruby and Hosoi Kurama, Lucy Kikumura, Moka, Yukari and himself, Tsukune had Chris explain his dream one more time to them, hoping someone would have a clue what the cause may be.

After a moment of silence from the group, Hosoi rubbed his chin and said, "That explosion you describe is a nuclear blast. From what you're saying Chris, you saw a full scale a nuclear war. I don't know about those robot things you saw. I don't think anyone has technology that advanced."

"Is is possible someone does have robots?" Lucy asked.

"Full nuclear war means total annihilation," Moka mussed. "Who would be stupid enough to wipe out everything. There would be nothing left for anyone. The Earth itself would be poisoned with radiation."

"I think that's what the war was about," Chris said sadly. "Right after I felt the evil, all the missiles launched. After the missiles is when the robots came out and killed any who survived the blasts."

"But who would want to do that?" Yukari asked. "Whoever started it would surely be condemning themselves to death as well."

"There are fools who think such a war is survivable," Hosoi said.

Ruby spoke up. "Our defenses on Witch Hill will shield us from such a war, but there would be nothing left beyond Witch Hill, unless someone else managed to get a strong enough shield up in time. I don't think the shield around the Yokai world is strong enough to hold against a direct hit."

"Even if we survive the nuclear winter after the war, there would be no harvest for years. Even those shielded would eventually weaken and perish," Hosoi added.

"It's not a yokai," Moka stated. "Even yokai know if you kill off all the food, survival is not possible. Even vampires need blood or suffer a very long, slow death from starvation."

Tsukune looked at Chris and asked, "Chris, think hard, did you see anything that might tell us where this was?"

Chris frowned in thought. He tried to remember any signs on buildings or other hints. "I can't remember any."

Tsukune looked at Moka.

"I'll get Kurumu," Moka said.

"Were there road signs?" Hosoi asked.

Chris looked at him. His eyes widened. "Yes! I saw a road sign. It said route two ten ... to ... Glen... dora? It was in English."

"Glen Dora. Scotland, maybe?" Yukari asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Does Scotland have nuclear missiles?" Tsukune asked.

"There was another name too!" Chris said as he closed his eyes. "The sign, it said Glendora, and ... Pasadena? Yes, Pasadena!" As everyone looked at each other, Chris cried, "Yes, Pasadena is in California! The USA."

"The Americans do have a lot of nuclear missiles," Yukari agreed.

"And an exchange between them and either Russia or China would cause a global disaster," Tsukune said.

"But to what end?" Lucy asked.

"We don' know, THAT is what scares me," Tsukune said. Seeing Kurumu come in with Moka, Tsukune said, "Chris I hate to put you through this, but we must extract every single detail we can get out of that dream of yours. I'm going to have Kurumu read your mind, and see if you and her can get anything else out of that dream. Maybe a date, or even a day and year it happens, possibly something you felt, heard or saw that you don't remember. The cause may also be there in some symbolic form. The slightest detail may be of vital importance."

Chris nodded as he stiffened himself. "Go ahead, please. Whatever this is, we must stop it."

.

Tsukune left Chris in the room with Kurumu to read his mind, Yukari to take down details, and Nana to comfort Chris as he went through that hellish nightmare anew. Everyone else went into the lounge to try and figure out what madman might be behind a plot like this. As they talked, Kahlua rushed in wearing a long white gown, her golden spiral-curl locks flying behind her. She looked upset, even her silver, diamond studded tiara wasn't sitting square on her head.

"Tsukune, Moka!" Kahlua cried as she eyed them, looking fearful.

"Kahlua, what is it?" Moka asked as she met her distraught sister.

Kahlua gripped Moka's arms as she explained in a run of words, "Apollo had a horrid nightmare last night. This morning, he got up, and you know how upset he gets if he has one of 'those' nightmares, but this was worse! He kept pacing, mumbling about the end of the world, and how it was going to spread to other worlds, and how he had to stop it. He told me to not to tell anyone and not to follow him, and then ... he left! He had Feodora open a portal for him and he left! Feodora wouldn't tell me where he went, no matter how bad I beat her up!"

"Ugh," Tsukune groaned and face palmed at Kahlua's actions. "Kahlua, Apollo didn't say anything in particular, did he?"

Kahlua blinked at him. Finger to her lower lip in thought, she said, "Hmmm, he talked about craziness."

"Craziness?"

Kahlua nodded. Frowning, she said, "Well, he said madness. Unclear madness, I think."

"Nuclear madness?" Moka asked.

Pointing to Moka triumphantly, Kahlua announced, "That's it!"

Tsukune let out a heavy sigh. "That is it then. Two identical nightmares half a world apart, that has to mean we're in for trouble," he said.

"You had that nightmare too?" Kahlua asked.

Tsukune looked at Ruby. Firmly he said, "Find Apollo. Wherever he went, is where the trouble is."

.

Apollo strode up to the strip motel room where his Witch had found the one he was looking for. As he approached, the door opened and a slim, auburn haired teenage girl said, "I will be back, wait for me." The girl came out, saw Apollo and stopped short.

Apollo recognized her. "Hello, Cameron, right? We need to talk," he said.

She stared at him briefly before saying, "Apollo, Kaiyo's Grandfather. What do you want?"

"Her Great-Grandfather," Apollo corrected, "I need your help. What do you know about someone, or some thing wanting to start a nuclear war?"

Cameron tipped her head slightly and said, "I can't tell you."

"You better tell me," Apollo said evenly. "It will happen soon unless I can stop it. Do you really want billions of people to die, maybe along with your John?"

"John won't die. I won't let him," Cameron said firmly. "I have to go."

Cameron went to walk around Apollo. He grabbed her arm and pushed her back in front of him. Cameron tried to hit him out of the way. Apollo grabbed her wrists and put her against the wall, her servos whining as she tried in vain to resist his strength.

"Look, Cameron," Apollo said sternly as he eyed her. "I need to find out what you know. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't save anyone unless you talk to me."

"Let her go!" John said as he appeared, pointing a gun at Apollo.

"Boy, that would be a big mistake," Apollo warned.

"John, go back inside, please," Cameron begged as she eyed him with a frightened look on her face.

Reforming his grip on the gun, John firmly said, "Let her go, now."

Apollo scowled at him and said, "I do NOT have time for foolishness!" He tossed Cameron into John. John dropped the gun as he instinctively caught Cameron. Apollo rushed up beside them and pushed them back through the door. Stepping inside, Apollo waited as they regained their balance, Cameron stepping in front of John, arms to the sides to keep him behind her as she eyed Apollo warily.

"Where is your mother?" Apollo asked in a stern tone.

"Right here. Move and I'll blow your head off," Sarah growled from behind him.

Apollo spun and grabbed her gun. Continuing his spin, he pushed her on the bed as he pulled the gun from her hand. Sarah bounced off one bed to land in the other.

"Mom!" John cried, and ran to her. Sarah scrambled up on the other side of the bed wearing a shocked look.

Apollo grabbed her gun in both hands, broke it in half and threw it on the floor. "Now that you're all here," he said in his stern tone. "What do you know about a nuclear war that is about to happen?"

Cameron recovered first. "Skynet is going to try to wipe our the human race using nuclear weapons," she stated.

"And where is this Sky Net?" Apollo asked firmly.

"We don't know, we've been looking for it," John said from beside Sarah.

"There are two possibilities we know of," Sarah told him. "Zeira Corp that is run by a woman named Catherine Weaver, and another big corporation we have yet to identify."

"I was going to find out what Ms. Weaver knows," Cameron said in a deadpan voice.

John shot Cameron a look of surprise. "You said you were going out to patrol the area."

She glanced back at him to say, "I lied."

"Cameron, you can't go there by yourself!" John insisted.

Apollo regarded them, then said, "She will not go by herself. She will go with me." To Cameron, he asked, "Can you identify this place from the air?"

"Yes."

"Then come," Apollo said, and walked outside.

"Cameron!" John called as he followed them out into the parking lot.

Apollo stopped, spun Cameron around and wrapped his arms around her to pull her tight to him. John froze.

"Do you have a way to find these other people?" Apollo asked.

"I've been doing Internet searches," John said, eyeing them.

"Then go do your search, as will I," Apollo said. He then changed form. Black feathered wings shot out from his back as his form turned dark, looking like black, form fitting armor. Horns grew on his forehead to curve back over his head and his hair turned dark. His body size grew to seven feet tall as did his muscles. He was now gazing at John through ones red vampire eye and one golden eye.

"Stay out of sight," Apollo said in a voice that seemed to vibrate the air. He then shot up into the sky with Cameron, and flew off at near jet speed.

John backed up as he watched them leave, his jaw hanging open. From behind him, Sarah pulled him back inside and shut the door.

Staring at his mother, John said breathlessly, "He took Cameron. He took her."

Shaken, Sarah nodded, "He did, you better try to find out everything you can about possible Skynet connections before he returns. He's a monster John, but he's going to help us."

.

"We got him," Ruby announced as she and Yukari gazed into their scrying bowls.

"He is in the world we sent Kaiyo to," Yukari explained. "He's flying with someone over a city."

Standing back so as not to interfere with Ruby and Yukari's magic, Tsukune nodded. He leaned over to Moka and whispered, "Contact Kaiyo. She spent time in that world, maybe she can tell us more. Call Ageha too, see if this witch, Feodora, is coherent enough to tell us anything after Kahlua beat her."

"I'll find out all I can," Moka said, and left.

"Tsukune?" Mizore asked in her icy tone.

Tsukune turned his attention to Mizore on his other side and said, "If Apollo runs into trouble, it's you and me as his only backup until Kurumu gets finished with Chris and we figure out who else we're going to need. Be ready."

"Um," Mizore said with a firm nod.

Returning his gaze to the scene before him of Apollo carrying a girl down into the city, Tsukune let out a huff and said, "Let's see what happens."

.

Cameron pointed out the skyscraper that belonged to the Zeira Corporation. As Apollo dove on it, she noticed one set of windows high up were blown out. It looked due to an explosion. "Anything important will be below ground level," she said loudly over the wind.

Apollo angled to the side and began circling as they descended. He slowed down to speak. "The best way down?" he asked.

"Elevator shaft," Cameron said, and pointed to a small building on the roof.

Landing on the empty helicopter pad, they ran to the building Cameron indicated. Apollo ripped the door off. Inside were electrical control panels and a huge motor with a winch that had cables going into holes in the floor.

Cameron pointed to the motor and said, "The shaft is under those cables. They are holding the elevator up." She strode over to the power panel and threw down the knife switch, killing the power. "It is safe to made an entry hole," she stated.

"Stand outside a moment," Apollo instructed.

Cameron went outside and watched Apollo walk around the motor to the winch. He then balled his fists, raised his arms up and struck down on the winch hard.

The noise of his strike was thunderous. Cameron felt the roof vibrate under her from the impact. The winch drooped and motor tipped as the floor cracked and sagged, the thick steel supports bend out of shape. Apollo hit the unit again. This time the floor collapsed, the motor and winch assembly broke free and dropped into the hole. The electrical cables snapped, wire flew as more heavy vibrations shuddered and booms sounded from the jagged hole. A loud screeching sounded from the hole, followed by one last thundering crash that shook the building.

Cameron approved of Apollo's method. That was her kind of way to make a hole.

Apollo waved Cameron back in. When she came back in, Apollo wrapped his arms around her again and dropped down the hole, picking up speed as they descended. Even though Cameron had a coltan combat frame, she was concerned about being damaged when they hit the bottom.

Apollo managed to slow them some in their fall. Their landing was solid, and would have broken a humans bones, but thankfully for her, it was only a solid jar. They stood on the motor, embedded in the twisted wreckage of the elevator car. The elevator doors that were only a waist high opening to them were blown out into the hallway.

"By the distance we fell, we are one level below ground," Cameron stated.

"Lead the way," Apollo said, gesturing with an arm.

Cameron climbed down out of the wreckage as excited voices called out from the floors above.

She paused in the hallway to scan the area and listen.

Apollo climbed out behind her. "What are we looking for?" he asked, returned to his human form.

"A server room."

"To serve what?"

Seeing the questioning look on Apollo's face, Cameron explained, "A room with racks of computers. It's called a server room. If they have an AI, that is where it will be."

The door at end opened up. A red haired woman in a white dress strode towards them, eyeing them angrily. "Who are you?" she asked harshly.

Seeing Cameron pause, Apollo took the lead. "We're looking for Sky Net," he stated.

"You will tell me who you are, or you will die," the woman stated flatly, not breaking her pace.

"Don't make me hurt you," Apollo warned walking towards her.

The woman raised an arm. The arm shifted into a silver color and raced at Apollo as it grew thin, like a spear. Apollo twisted to make her strike miss, then shot forward with an open palm into her chest, throwing her back to hit the door she'd come out of.

To Apollo's surprise, the woman reformed and stood up. Hiding his surprise, he strode toward her and said, "Don't do anything you'll regret."

"We shall see who regrets what," she stated, and pointed both arms at Apollo.

Apollo dodged and grabbed the spears her arms had turned into. He meant to slam her back into the door again, but the arms gave, coiling like snakes to wrap around his arms. He pulled hard, bending over. This pulled the woman off her feet into him. Before she hit him, he kicked her hard in her stomach. His foot went right through her, making a large hole that made shiny globs of a metallic substance fly out her back. He then threw her to the floor and tore her arms off.

Staring at him, she reformed new arms that looked like clubs and punched him in the stomach. Apollo flew through the wall, blasting concrete with him into another room. The woman stood up. All her pieces slithered like shakes to rejoin her body.

"You're a T-1000," Cameron stated.

The woman looked at her. "One thousand one," she corrected. "I am Catherine Weaver. You must be Cameron," she said.

Apollo burst back through the hole in his humanoid form. He punched Weaver hard, making her head splatter against the far wall. His next punch was down, splitting her body like a banana peel down to her waist. He quickly shot to the side and kicked her upper legs, again splattering her apart where he contacted. Apollo then raced to the door and kicked it open. The door collapsed around his foot, and flew in to hit computer cabinets that flashed in sparks as the door was driven into them. Somewhere inside, a man cried in terror.

Weaver reformed in the hallway. She'd just gotten herself together and glared at Apollo when a purple haired woman appeared directly behind her. The woman touched Weaver's back. Frost grew quickly over Weaver's body as she froze solid. The woman tapped Weaver on the back of the head. She fell over with a metallic 'thunk'.

Apollo frowned at the purple haired woman. "Mizore, what are you doing here?" he asked in a harsh tone.

"Helping," Mizore replied flatly. Pointing to Weaver on the floor, she said, "She's frozen solid. Can't flow any more."

"It is dangerous here. Go. Home." Apollo commanded.

Tsukune appeared beside Mizore and said, "Apollo, I would hazard a guess you won't find out anything unless we see what's on those computes _before_ you destroy them."

"You don't even know why I'm here!" Apollo said angrily.

"I do. There's a nuclear war to prevent," Tsukune countered. Turning, he looked at Cameron. "Ah, yes, I remember you. Good strength, but slow."

Cameron tipped her head, recalling her last encounter with Tsukune Aono. "Slower than you, Tsukune Aono. I can still be useful. I can find out what's in that server."

"Be my guest," Tsukune told her with a bow.

"You should not be here!" Apollo stated heavily. "This world may blow up at any time!"

"And if it's to be stopped, it is better you have help," Tsukune countered.

"I don't want my family to be put in danger," Apollo yelled.

"Neither do I," Tsukune countered. Quickly, he said to Cameron, "Find out what you can."

"You would risk Mizore's life?" Apollo asked.

"If this world falls, others may also. To do nothing may ensure the havor reaches our world." Tsukune stated. Turning away from Apollo, he said, "Mizore, keep Miss Liquid over there frozen. We'll figure out what to do with her later."

Cameron slipped around the arguing men. She didn't know why they were arguing, but she did know she wanted to get all the information she could before they broke out into a fight and destroyed the computer servers.

Mr. Murch, the chubby, pale looking man who refused to come out of the corner he'd retreated into, watched Cameron study the racks of computer equipment. Being as brave as he could, he said, "If you don't leave, I'm calling security."

"Do you really want them to be killed?" Cameron asked in an offhand manner. Noting a black box encased in Plexiglas on the rack, she asked, "This is the Turk. You are building Skynet?"

Mr. Murch swallowed and didn't answer.

"What have you got?" Tsukune asked as he came in.

"They are building Sky Net. That is the Turk, the heart of Sky Net," Cameron explained.

"The thing that's going to cause the nuclear war," Tsukune concluded. "Rip it out."

"NO!" Mr. Murch cried and dared to take a step forward. "That's just an AI we're developing. Please, stop!"

Cameron had cocked back to punch a hole in the Turk. Tsukune caught her arm. "Wait," he told her. To Mr. Murch, he asked, "What does this AI do?"

"Nothing. It's not even developed yet," Mr. Murch said quickly. "John Henry can't do anything, let alone start a war! Ask Mrs. Weaver."

"The frozen red-head?" Tsukune asked.

Mr. Murch stared at him.

"Mizore, bring Miss Liquid in here," Tsukune called out the door.

Apollo came in and studied the scene as he said, "Tsukune, you need to leave and take Mizore with you."

Tsukune shook his head. "This is too important to miss any details. I've got people working to find out more about what's going on here. We need to get the facts, then act. Not the other way around."

"You don't think I'm capable of collecting facts?" Apollo asked, frowning at him.

Tsukune looked back down the hallway at the destroyed elevator. "To quote Sir John, we need to ask questions before we shoot, not after."

"Where do you want her?" Mizore asked as she carried the frozen woman in.

"Mrs. Weaver?" Mr. Murch cried as he stared at her.

"That corner," Tsukune said, pointing the the empty corner closest to the door.

Mizore propped Mrs. Weaver up in the corner. Cameron turned to Tsukune and said, "Mr. Aono, Skynet is an intelligent program, an AI that was made to take over the defense grid. After it was put on line, the military found out they could not control it. They tried to take it off line. Fearing for it's life, it started a nuclear war, knowing the humans that were a threat to it would be destroyed. After the bombs fell, it created it's own machines to wipe out the rest of humanity."

"How do you know this?"

"I came back from the future to protect John Conner. In the future I came from, what I just told you is history."

Tsukune nodded slightly as he thought. "So, you have time traveled."

"Yes, as have others. Catherine Weaver has as well. She is a T-1001 from the future," Cameron explained.

Looking at Apollo, Tsukune tipped his head to indicate Cameron. "It's not that big of a leap from time travel to dimensional travel. That means we must stop this Sky Net before it comes on line, no matter what."

"She will thaw out soon," Mizore said, coming up beside Tsukune.

"Thank you, Mizore," Tsukune said. He walked over to place himself between Weaver and Apollo. "We talk first," he stated.

"I did try, she attacked me," Apollo said indignantly.

"Then let me try," Tsukune said with a huff. Seeing the frost was slowly fading, he said in a loud voice, "Yukari, can you help thaw her out, please?"

A few droplets of water rolled off Weaver, she then sagged, caught herself and straightened up on her feet and glared at Tsukune. Tsukune held up his hands and said, "We need to talk."

Weaver flicked her eyes over the room, then glanced at Apollo. "That would be preferable to fighting at the moment," she said with acid in her voice.

"I agree," Tsukune said, then explained, "We have found out this thing called Sky Net is planning a nuclear war. We've come to stop it. What I need to know, is what is this AI you are building, and what do you know about Sky Net?"

Weaver's eyed him and said, "I was building John Henry to fight Sky Net. Sky Net will ruin the world unless we can stop it." Turning to Cameron, she asked, "Will you join us?"

Cameron knew those code words. Her mission back in time included the command to hand over her chip when that question was asked. That was what she had planned on doing today, fulfilling her mission. Ever since John's birthday when the bomb in the jeep had damaged her chip, she was not functioning properly. If she had been, she would have killed John when he gave her the gun. She had overridden the command to terminate him. A command was coming up now, to submit to chip removal. To do so would mean giving herself over to Weaver, and never seeing John again. Analyzing the situation, Cameron tipped her head slightly. She knew future John had ordered her to surrender her chip so they would have strong allies. Looking around her now, she saw much more powerful allies than Catherine Weaver.

Holding to the intent of future John's order, and not the exact command, she said, "No. I will join Mr. Aono if he wishes. I would suggest you do the same."

Weaver's eyes flared. "Did not future John Conner command you to hand over your chip?" she asked sternly.

"He did," Cameron replied. "I follow the commands I choose to. I wish for John to have Mr. Aono as an ally, not you."

Focusing on Tsukune, Weaver said, "I have the resources to fight Sky Net. If you will assist me, we can raise the material and forces needed to defeat it."

"I already have that," Tsukune told her. "All I need is to find it."

"You cannot find it without me," Weaver said firmly.

"Mrs. Weaver," Tsukune said slowly. "Trust me what I say we do not play games. If you wish to help us, I will be thankful. If not, we destroy your AI and stuff you some place where you won't be a bother to us."

Weaver's gaze became stonic. She eyed Apollo and Mizore, then returned her hard gaze to Tsukune.

"If you're thinking about violence, you should think twice," Tsukune warned.

"You cannot destroy me," Weaver stated.

"I don't believe Lord Aono said anything about destroying you, Mrs. Weaver," Apollo announced. "He can make your life extremely difficult, as I had found from first hand experience."

"If I cooperate, you will not harm John Henry?" Weaver asked.

"The only ones who we want to harm is this Sky Net, and anyone who stands with it," Tsukune stated.

Weaver eyed him for another moment, the said, "Mr. Murch, please give these people your cooperation. Mr. Aono, I have information you may want to look at up in my office. Shall we?"

"Let's find out what John Henry knows." Tsukune said. He turned to look at the frightened man in the corner. "Mr. Murch? Please assist Cameron, she knows what she's looking for."

Mr. Murch swallowed. He nodded nervously.

Cameron worked with Mr. Murch to find a way for Cameron to interface with John Henry. Cameron could read his LED screen. Besides speech, Cameron found John Henry was able to visually pick up her eye flashes. Cameron flashed her eyes in code, John Henry made one's and zeros scroll quickly down his screen. Mr. Murch stood in awe as he watched the two communicate in this manner.

Catherine Weaver stood by as this was happening. She kept track of where everyone was in the room. Not knowing how she was frozen so quickly and with no warning, she stayed docile, for now. She did not waste her time however. "Mr. Aono, how do you feel about free machines?" she asked in a light tone.

Tsukune eyed her and said, "I'm not sure I understand your question."

"Thinking machines with free will. Do you believe they should have rights as humans do?"

Tsukune considered the question, and responded with, "I believe all intelligent beings, no matter what their origin is, have a right to go about their lives as they see fit. That is, so long as they follow the laws and do not infringe on others right to do so."

"Then you do not have a problem with myself or Cameron."

"The only problem I have is if you do anything to try and stop us from finding this Sky Net," Tsukune told her.

"Kaliba," Cameron said, turning from the computer she was at to look at Tsukune. " From the information John has collected, and the transfers of coltan and other materials I've been able to track with John Henry's help, the company building Sky Net is Kaliba. They are a large company that does military contracts. I have the location of one of their factories. I cannot directly find any reference to Sky Net, or where it is housed."

"Well done, Cameron," Tsukune said. "Now, please say the exact location of that factory loudly and clearly." He then added in a louder voice, "Yukari! Pay attention. We have a place to start."


	15. Chapter 15

CH54

Cameron spoke loud and clear as Tsukune had requested, giving the factory location in GPS coordinates, longitude and latitude, down to the second of degree. She then gave road directions on how to get there.

"Thank you, Cameron," Tsukune said pleasantly as he faced her.

Apollo shifted behind Tsukune grabbed him and threw him into the wall, cracking the concrete. In a powerful voice that made Cameron stand up and take a defensive pose, and Mr. Murch to faint, Apollo roared, **"And now you will go home and leave this to me!"**

Tsukune glared back at Apollo, his eyes glazing over red. **"What is wrong with you?" **Tsukune roared back as he grabbed Apollo's wrists. **"We should be working together, NOT fighting!"**

**"What do you think you are doing here? Instead of looking to get yourself killed, you should focus on the task you SHOULD be dong!"**

** "What are you talking about?"**

** "KNOW YOUR PLACE, TSUKUNE AONO!" **Apollo snapped. **"That being your role in bringing about coexistence between species and an equal government for all. It is your place to prove me wrong that such a world can exist, NOT rushing into unknown perils where you put yourself and my family in danger. I will deal with this danger. I am expendable and cannot be killed. The same is not true for you. Everyone is counting on you, so go home before I MAKE you go home!"**

Apollo and Tsukune were glaring at each other as Apollo held Tsukune against the crumbled wall. Watching them, Weaver stood back as did Cameron, noting Mizore's hands had turned into long ice claws.

Tsukune snapped his head to Mizore. **"Mizore, take Cameron and go back. Now."**

"Um, um. Will not leave you," Mizore stated.

**"GO!"** Tsukune roared at her.

Cameron received warnings in her HUD that unknown power levels were rising fast. She did not know what they were, but she did know this was quickly becoming a bad place to be. She stepped up behind Mizore and locked her arms around the woman. Cameron lifted her off her feet, and felt her own temperature drop down to minus 50 Celsius. Walking Mizore out of the room, her temperature continued to drop and iced formed over her.

"Down, or I will shatter you," Mizore intoned.

Walking was becoming hard. Cameron's joints squeaked with cold. Her feet slipped on the ice that was forming on the bottoms. When she fell, she fell into the stone walled gothic looking room she'd been in before when Yukari had made it possible to confront her Skynet programming. Mizore rolled her over and pried Cameron's malfunctioning arms from around herself.

Tsukune's voice came though. **"Yukari, close the portal!"**

Mizore got up. "No!" she snapped, but Yukari had already done it. Shifting her narrowed eyes to Yukari, she intoned. "Open it."

Yukari shook her head. "Not yet. Tsukune will tell me when," she stated.

Pointing an ice claw at where the portal was, Mizore said, "That is Apollo, Tsukune needs help."

"I know!" Yukari replied, looking stricken. "But we have to trust him when he needs our help. Collect everyone you can, we need to be ready when Tsukune calls for us. Until them, I will keep up my scry."

"Um," Mizore stated, and strode out.

.

**"Now," **Tsukune said, glaring at Apollo. **"The portal is closed. There is no going back."**

Apollo cracked a grin and called, **"Feodora! ... Feodora!"**

Tsukune shook his head. In a softer tone, he explained, "She can't answer. Kahlua beat the snot out of her for not saying where you went. We were also trying to find out if your witch is even conscious."

Apollo let out a growl and tightened his hold on Tsukune. **"You will go home. I will not see you here again, or I will teach you a lesson you're never forget!"**

Apollo then spun quickly and threw Tsukune into the racks of computers. Tsukune disappeared in an explosion of plastic and metal. Apollo then raced down the hall and back up the elevator shaft.

"No!" Catherine Weaver cried, seeing the big hole Tsukune had made.

Tsukune struggled his way out, doing as little more damage as possible. Climbing out he looked at the ragged hole that was spitting sparks and shook his head. "Damn him," he grumbled. Motioning to the hole, he asked Weaver, "Can you fix it?"

Weaver looked at Mr. Murch, passed out on the floor, then glared at Tsukune. "I will take time, after Mr. Murch wakes up. You may have killed John Henry."

"If that is so, I'm sorry. Apollo is not what you'd call a team player."

"Apparently not," Weaver spat. "You wreck my building and destroy the only hope I have of stopping Sky Net. What other help can you provide?" she asked with acid in her voice.

Tsukune let out a huff. "Let's start by waking Mr. Murch up. Then, we go visit that factory and find the one who owns it."

"Mr. Aono," Weaver said in a stern tone as she folded her arms over her chest. "IF that is a SkyNet factory, they will have defenses we cannot get through. The area will be monitored and heavily guarded."

Tsukune shook his head. "I'm not worried about that. We need to get there before Apollo does."

"I take it this Apollo is an enemy of yours?"

Tsukune grunted out a snort and said, "Worse. He's a relative." Letting go of his vampire aura, He went over and knelt by Mr. Murch. He tapped Mr. Murch's cheek and called to him a few times coaxing him to consciousness.

Mr. Murch awoke with a spasm, his eyes flying open. "Wha ... what happened?" he asked in a squeak. Seeing the devastation to the computer racks, he cried, "Oh my GOD! John Henry! What happened!" Murch scrambled up and stared at the damage. He then stared at Weaver. "You ... were frozen solid, I saw it!" He then spun to gape at Tsukune. "And ... what the hell are you? You're not human!"

Tsukune offered him a brief smile and said, "You're right. I'm not." Walking over to Mr. Murch, Tsukune put an arm over his shoulders and said, "I'm a vampire, and Mrs. Weaver is a ... well, she can tell you. The important thing right now is to fix John Henry. Your world depends upon it, and I'm not exaggerating. Billions of lives depend upon you. Do you understand?"

Mr. Murch nodded, slack jawed.

"Good. I'll be going now, so do your best. Mrs. Weaver, would you help Mr. Murch, please?"

Weaver raised an eyebrow. "He knows we're not human," she warned.

"To a man trying to save the world, that should not matter. Should it, Mr. Murch?" Tsukune asked.

"No," Mr. Murch said weakly. He looked over at his boss and said, "Mrs. Weaver, I am going to need help."

Weaver nodded and said, "Tell me what you need me to do."

"I will give you some assistance also, but first I must get to that factory before Apollo does," Tsukune told him. He then called out, "Yukari! Bring me back."

A disembodied female voice called out in Japanese. Tsukune turned, took two steps and disappeared.

Watching this, Mr. Murch turned to Weaver and asked in weak voice, "Mrs. Weaver, what's going on?"

"Like Mr. Aono said, we repair John Henry, then worry about other matters. You can tell no one what you've seen here today," she warned.

Mr. Murch shrugged and said, "Who'd ever believe me?"

.

Tsukune knew Apollo moved fast. Unfortunately, Cameron would do nothing until they got John Conner someplace safe. Relenting, Tsukune had Yukari move her scry to the motel John and Sarah were at and had Ruby keep her scry on Apollo, who was streaking along through the sky, heading for the factory. Even traveling through portals, Tsukune could see they did not have time to retrieve the Conners, and still get to the factory before Apollo did. He eyed Cameron unhappily. At least Moka had come back, but he didn't have time to discuss anything with her. Lucy had arrived also. Good, he could use her.

Tsukune told them his plan. "All right, Ruby shift to the factory, the head office if you can find it. Open a portal and be ready to pull me out just before Apollo gets there. Moka, you bring the Conners here, it's the safest place they can be. Lucy, after I go over I'll be throwing people and things at the portal, catch them and bring them over."

"What do I do with them?" Lucy asked.

"Yukari's room across the hall, just keep them in there until I get back," Tsukune told her.

Ruby shifted her scry and a moment later said, "Tsukune, I have a scry on the nicest looking office. You better go now, you have about three minutes before Apollo arrives." She opened a portal to the hallway outside an office with oak doors.

"Keep the portal right behind me," Tsukune said, dashed through.

.

"John, you should stay away from the window!" Sarah admonished from her seat in the foot of the bed by him. "We shouldn't even be staying here. Someone had to have seen that man take off like that!"

John let the curtain close. "He's got Cameron," John replied heavily, eyeing her. "If we leave, she won't be able to find us."

Sarah rubbed her forehead. "John," she said with a groan, "Tin Miss can take care of herself."

John paced to the other side of the curtain and found a place he could watch through the thin opening between the window and the curtain. "And what if she's in trouble? Do you trust that Apollo?"

Irritated at him, Sarah rolled her eyes. "She's a MACHINE John! She doesn't have feelings, she only follows her programs!" pounding a fist on the bed, she yelled, "She can't love ... She's not even a 'she', but an 'it'! Metal, wires, and computer chips. WHEN are you going to realize that!"

In a normal tone, John said, "You're wrong. Cameron is more than just a machine."

Forcing herself calm, Sarah said, "Cameron is a Terminator, build specifically to infiltrate. IT was programmed to do and say whatever it took to fulfill IT'S mission. IF you tell IT you love IT, then IT will make you think IT feels the same so IT can stay by your side. That is all IT can do!"

"Excuse me," a strong female voice said from by the bathroom. "You both need to come with me, now."

Sarah shot up at the voice to see a woman with white, no, _silver_ hair, dressed in a red 'V' neck blouse and short black skirt standing just outside the bathroom door. Her red eyes regarding them.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" Sarah barked. Even as she asked, she remembered seeing this woman before in that terrifying house.

"I am Moka Aono. John, Cameron needs you. We must go now."

John immediately walked over to her. Sarah jumped up behind him an stopped him. "John, wait!"

"Mom!" John complained.

Not being in the mood to let them argue, Moka stepped up, punched Sarah hard enough to knock her out, and tossed Sarah over her shoulder. "We don't have time for nonsense," Moka told him. She then put a hand on his back and walked him towards the bathroom.

.

The instant Tsukune stepped foot in the offices of the factory, he grabbed a woman at her desk outside the main office , picked her up by her hips and flung her behind him as she screamed. The oak doors in front of him he bashed in to see three men having a meeting.

"What is..." one indignant man had time to say before Tsukune picked him up, chair and all and threw him through the portal. The second man had time to grow wide eyes before Tsukune tossed him through. The body builder type behind the desk stood up and pointed a gun at Tukune. Tsukune wrenched the gun out of his hand and threw him through the portal.

There were no filing cabinets, so Tsukune pulled out and threw desk drawers, then the computer on the desk through the portal. He strode back out of the office and looked around for anyone he thought might be important. By now, office workers were peeking over their cubicles to see what was going on. Tsukune went over to the nearest man, a thin, bespectacled, dark skinned man who eyed him nervously before trying to flee. Tsukune grabbed him by the belt and tossed him through.

"Hurry," Ruby said.

The other office workers saw what was happening and fled for the exits, screaming. Tsukune snagged a tall blond, then a shorter bottle blond.

"Tsukune, return!" Ruby said firmly.

Having gotten the ones he thought was most important, Tsukune raced back through the portal.

.

Yukari's magic room was chaos, and so was Yukari's bedroom across the hall. John Conner was standing be the wall (safest place he thought he could be), by his prone mother as Moka helped Lucy guide the flying people through the door of the magic room, and into her bedroom. On the other side of the hall, Kanae stood just inside the bedroom making sure she moved the shocked people who just landed on the floor away from the incoming ones who bounced to a stop.

Tsukune raced through the portal, and skidded to a stop.

"Portal closed," Yukari announced.

"OK, let's see who we got," Tsukune said and went into Yukari's bedroom.

Most of those Tsukune had tossed through the portal were cringing in confusion and fear. The large man who'd been behind the desk was neither. He strode towards the door purposefully, and was stopped by Kanae.

"Stay here," she told him.

The man tried to move forward, but his feet slid on the floor as he pushed.

"Who are you?" Tsukune asked.

The man didn't speak, he looked down at himself and to the sides, trying to find out what was stopping him.

John Conner appeared in the doorway of Yukari's magic room. "Mr. Aono, my mother needs help," he said firmly.

The man focused on John. He then pulled a pistol that was ripped from his grasp and floated over to Tsukune. The man tried to charge and again, only slipping on the floor. He then lifted up in the air.

"This guy doesn't know when to quit," Kanae noted.

"He's a terminator, T-888 I bet," John said firmly. "He wants to kill me. He won't ever quit."

"He's one of these robots that wants to kill everyone then," Tsukune concluded

"Yes. In the future, I'm suppose to be the general that leads the human resistance against Sky Net," John explained.

"Pull his chip, that will stop him," Cameron said as she came up behind John.

Tsukune motioned to the man hanging in the air. "Please do. Kanae, hold him still."

Cameron moved toward the man, who was now twisting and struggling to move. Cameron took a knife and cut into his scalp near the crown above his right ear. As the man struggled, mechanical whining noises were heard. People gasped as Cameron ripped away part of his scalp to show bare metal underneath.

"Cam, remove all the skin covering on his head," John instructed.

Cameron did, ripping his scalp, forehead and face off to show his metal skull as the machine desperately struggled.

John stepped in the room and pointed to the T-888 as he looked at the people gapping at it. "You see?" he asked. "THIS THING is what you were working for. This machine wants to kill all of us. I am John Conner, my mother, Sarah Conner and I have been fighting these things even before I was born! If we do not stop them, they WILL destroy humanity! Take a good look, because once Sky Net becomes active and lays nuclear waste to everything, you'll be seeing a lot more of them, and EVERY ONE will be out to kill us all!"

Cameron waited until John was finished, then popped the cover and pulled the chip out of the T-888's head. It went limp. "It's safe now," she said.

Kanae looked at Tsukune. Tsukune nodded. Kanae let it drop to the floor.

"Yukari," Tsukune called behind him. "Help John with his mother." To John, he said, "We'll start talking to these people and find out what they know. Go back to your mother, we'll compare notes after she has recovered."

John nodded.

"John, I should stay for the interrogation," Cameron said.

"We'll take care of it, right now, your family should be together," Tsukune told her.

John motioned for Cameron to join him.

Tsukune eyed the group in Yukari's bedroom and singled out the men who had been in the machine's office. "You and you, come with me. We have some questions to ask you."

.

Apollo circled above the factory, noting the only human presences he felt were in the four story building across the parking lot from the factory. The factory itself was completely automated. Good, that made his job easier.

Shifting into full Harbinger form, Apollo landed hard on the office building roof, and let out a roar. Seeing a nearby antenna, he ripped free and slammed it on the roof before throwing it down into the parking lot. He roared again as he backhanded an elevator hut, smashing it to pieces to send another tremor through the building.

Below him, screams wafted up from within.

Apollo roared and hit the corner of the building as he stomped around, not to destroy, but hard enough to make the building shake. Looking over the side, he saw terrified people pouring from within.

Grabbing an air conditioner that was the size of a small house, he ripped it free from the roof, and with another roar, threw it at the loading dock of the factory, destroying a pair of trucks that were waiting to load.

Once the flow of fleeing people trickled down to nothing, some stopping to gape up at the giant gargoyle on the roof, Apollo got serious. He punched a hole down through the roof. Sucking in all the air he could take in, he exhaled fire down through the hole. The upper floor windows blasted out in flame, then the third floor windows shattered and blew out, accompanied by orange fire.

The people on the ground who'd stopped, thought better of it and continued fleeing.

Pounding and breathing fire down through the building, Apollo attacked the structure that finally gave up and collapsed in on itself. As the building fell, Apollo flapped his wings to jump over on the factory roof and pound a hole in that.

A long overhead door rose up and triangular drones with jet engines mounted on the sides flew out like an angry swarm of hornets, followed by shiny metal skeleton terminators with machine guns and tracked vehicles that bore dual .50 machine guns. The drones rose up and fired on Apollo as he breathed a long breath of fire down into the factory. The bullets tore into Apollo's hide. He stopped and growled at the flying machines, then jumped up in the air.

The drones were maneuverable, and made to fight aircraft. They were not made to out-fly a monster. Faster and more maneuverable than the drones, Apollo swiped at them, knocking one after another into burning balls of fire. Racing around, he destroyed all but one that rose up and away at full power to escape. Apollo ignored the machines on the ground and flew down into the factory, blasting the roof apart.

Machines on the ground moved to go back into the factory, and were met by an intense river of fire rolling out to engulf them. Machine guns rounds cooked off in pops, making the guns explode but the machines kept moving in. Apollo burst out, ripping the door and surrounding wall open as he slammed his paws down, crushing machines, and bit a few in half. Once his attackers were nothing but scrap metal scattered about, Apollo continued destroying the factory, burning and tearing walls down. A fuel tank caught fire and exploded in a large fireball that washed over Apollo. He ignored it and kept ripping and burning until the entire factory was flattened, burning rubble.

Apollo then took off with a mighty roar and and flew away as a few very brave souls a half mile away recorded the events on their cell phones.

.

The men Tsukune wanted to question first were expecting yelling and torture to get answers out of them, Especially since Lucy had dragged them to another room with seemingly nothing at all. When they were sat down, however, Kurumu took over. With sweet talk and Charm, she had them spilling their guts to John and Tsukune. The men were Grays, highly paid by Sky Net to develop weapons and ensure the weapons remained secret until called for. The T-888 they called 'Hardass', monitored them closely and expected daily reports on their progress. They did not know where Sky Net was, but did know the places their machines were being sent to, including an underground bunker accessible only from the factory.

A quick interview with the others showed that only the two men knew anything about machines of Sky Net. Yukari found a place hear a city to let all the other workers go on their way back to their own world. The two Grays, Tsukune had put in the dungeon.

Armed with the knowledge they had, Tsukune called another meeting to discuss their actions. This time in the large dinning room downstairs. Tsukune included everyone in the meeting, including the Conners, Lin the Witch and the older children.

First, Tsukune had the facts laid out. He let John Conner explain what Sky Net was, and what it's plan was. He then asked Cameron explain what it was they would be facing. Tsukune followed with what they had found to date.

After everyone had a grasp of what they were facing, Tsukune said, "We know where three other store houses of Sky Net weapons are, but what we don't know, and is a much higher priority, is where Sky Net itself is. We stop Sky Net, and those machines and weapons mean nothing. We don't stop Sky Net, and they will be an after thought in the damage SkyNet does. Cameron, you know how to find Sky Net?"

Cameron looked at Tsukune and stated, "Yes. I take orders from John."

"Fair enough, it's your world," Tsukune conceded. "John Conner, right now Catherine Weaver has a broken AI that may be able to help. Your task is to find out everything you can about where Sky Net is. I'm going to send Lin, Chris and or course Cameron with you. Any trouble from Weaver at all, you call for help. Frank, you'll have the army at your disposal. Myself, Moka or Ruby will give you details if we need to deploy. Be ready to move at a moment's notice. Kumiko will be your 'eye in the sky' for the army, so don't waste any dragons for intel. Liz will be your personal guard. Moka, when we find Skynet, you'll lead the attack force, use anyone we need. Everyone, keep a watch out for Apollo. He destroyed that one factory, but left the underground weapons untouched. We want to act before he does. Questions?"

Kahlua jumped up, raising her hand like she was in class. "Tsukune! Do I have to kill anyone? You know how sad that makes me."

"Not any people. You'll be destroying machines and equipment."

Kahlua smiled at him. She raised her arms and her long blades shot out. "I'm ready!" she announced.

Moka had been sitting, arms crossed over her chest like she was bored. "Tsukune," she said, raising her red eyes to him. "Apollo is correct about one thing. You cannot risk yourself for this other world. This world depends upon you. The alliance of all species is not very stable. Yokai and humans alike do not fear each other because everyone knows you are there to maintain peace. If anything happened to you, the alliance will fall apart, and the war Apollo predicts may well happen."

"And our family would be damaged beyond repair also," Kurumu added.

"None of us would be here, if it wasn't for you," Ruby added. "My beloved Witch Hill would not exist in it's present form, either. You will stay in our world and command from here."

Seeing all their stern faces, Tsukune changed his plans from going back to watch over Cameron's search. "All right," he said with a huff. "Mizore, Akemi and Azami, go with the Conners, keep them safe and make sure Mrs. Weaver doesn't try any tricks."

"Do we get to kick butt?" Azami asked.

"Only if needed. Listen to your Mama Mizore and John," Tsukune told her.

Azami clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "Ohhh, I hope those metal things try to screw with us!"

Tsukune frowned at her. Azami was way too eager to get into a fight. He worried about her. "Ruby and Yukari, you'll be providing the scrying and portals. Ruby, you have something for everyone?"

Ruby stood up, holding a bowl of what looked like thumb sized deep blue gems. She began passing them out as she explained. "I made these communication crystals. As long as you have it on you, you can think to anyone else who has one. Keep them safe, for if someone else picks them up, then they will receive the thoughts intended for you."

John Conner took his crystal when offered. His mind was spinning from the things he saw here, but he did realize that for the first time, they had a solid chance at fighting and defeating Sky Net.

"There is one more thing we need to do before we begin," Tsukune announced. "Lucy, would you please touch every vampire in the forehead?"


	16. Chapter 16

CH 55

In monitoring the Internet, communications and radio and television bands, Sky Net learned of the destruction of it's factory. The information the single surviving HK drone had supplied was backed up by news broadcasts showing the giant creature that had destroyed the plant and the defending machines. Searching references, this thing was known as a gargoyle to humans, although human lore said nothing about a gargoyle that big or powerful. Gargoyles were suppose to be stone or concrete talismans placed on buildings to keep away evil, according to human legend. Searching a reference, Sky Net found that many scholars theorized some legends evolved from fact. A radio news show also theorized that since pieces of advanced 'fully automated machines' were being found in the wreckage of the factory, it was possible this gargoyle that had frightened the workers at the factory, was a form of God's wrath in retaliation for people attempting to make sentient machines.

The creature had disappeared after leveling the factory. Neither SkyNet's many sources, nor the human military could find any trace of the beast despite intensive searches. The longer the bus sized creature with wings the size of a passenger jet stayed hidden, the more human gossip theorized on if the creature was some ancient previously thought extinct animal, or maybe it was the Hand of God come to deal out punishment.

While humans tried to figure out what the thing was, Sky Net had another problem as well. Another AI had been poking around the factory's computers, and disappeared just before the attack. Sky Net tried to track it down to the source, but it went completely off line before it could be found. Just like the gargoyle, it came and left quickly. Sky Net had been attacked, and whatever was behind it, had struck with lightning speed and disappeared just as quickly leaving no clues behind. The humans also now had tangible proof of AI's, though they had yet to determine their purpose.

With this new information, Sky Net went through scenarios to determine the correct action to take. If it or any of it's machines or loyal humans made a move, the creature and the unknown AI might strike again. It was not strong enough yet to take over the military to more effectively search for and destroy this threat. It first had to monitor the situation, and determine what it would take to kill the gargoyle before it acted. Then, due to the exposure it would have to hack the military computers and launch the nuclear weapons before the humans had time to react.

.

Mr. Murch wasn't sure where to begin with all this damage. "John Henry's entire interface is gone, and the whole power distribution section is a mess," he complained as he all but cried over the destruction to his creation.

"Mr. Murch," Catherine Weaver said evenly. "Make me a list of what we need so I can get it expedited to us, then determine what we have left."

"Yes, Ma'am," Having a place to start, Mr. Murch took out his notepad and began to log down the hardware he'd need. As he did, he felt a cold chill down his back.

"Mrs. Weaver, we have returned," a flat toned voice said.

Mr. Murch turned to see Mizore beside Azami. Akemi was holding the deactivated T-888 over her shoulders. Behind them John and Cameron stood with a Chinese woman dressed in black beside them.

"Can you do something about this damage?" Catherine asked, motioning to the gapping hole in the compute racks.

Mizore talked to the Chinese woman in Japanese as she indicated the damage. The woman nodded.

Looking at Mr. Murch, Mizore intoned, "Step back, Lin needs space."

Mr. Murch did. "Ahh, please be careful," he asked.

Lin eyed the wrecked computer gear. Standing in front of it, she raised her arms as she spoke cryptic words in a strong voice. The ruined racks bent and pulled themselves back into shape. She kept up her vocals and slowly waved her hands down in front of the racks. As she did, All the parts and pieces jumped back up where they should be. Plastic cases sealed themselves, indicator lights came on, and wires snaked around to reattach themselves.

"Impressive," Weaver noted.

Mr. Murch eyed the small woman performing her magic.

Lin turned and talked to Mizore again. Mizore pointed to Mrs. Weaver as she replied, then motioned to Akemi and Azami. Lin nodded. To Mrs. Weaver, Mizore said in English, "Lin will make a warning perimeter to protect this place in the spots you show her. You will be the one to allow entry. If someone tries to get in that you don't want here, we'll stop them."

"What are you?" Mr. Murch asked, amazed at what he'd just witnessed.

Pointing at Lin, Mizore said, "Witch." She then pointed to herself , then the girls and said, "Snow fairy, vampire, vampire," and then to John and Cameron, saying, "Human, golem."

"TOK 417," Cameron said, correcting her.

Catherine Weaver nodded to John. "Good to see you, John Conner. If you will excuse me, I will show Miss Lin the places I want protected. We can then discuss what to do with the terminator you brought with you."

Weaver left and motioned for Lin to follow.

Mr. Much gazed at the odd collection before him. He had never dreamed such beings existed, but he was glad they were on their side. He got to work rebooting John Henry.

.

Apollo shifted his form and sat in a dinner, watching the 'breaking news' that again showed him shooting up from the ruined factory. One act, and he had seized the attention of this world. Reporters bothered every official about the details of the events, and received 'no comment', or 'we are still investigating' replies.

One wide eyed man did talk to the press, excitedly going on about what he'd seen and recorded. He was not alone, several others also came forward to tell their stories or the 'giant beast' some claimed was a dragon, others a dinosaur, as well as the 'metal skeletons' that had came from within the factory.

Apollo watched, knowing the secrecy of this Sky Net was about to be blown wide open. Sooner or later, someone from government would have to either admit or deny it's existence, and he'd have the next lead to follow. These reporters were very good at explaining where they were, and who they were talking to.

.

Kahlua came in to watch the scrying bowl with Ruby so she could see where Apollo was, and what he was doing.

"He's eating lunch, posing as someone else," Kahlua said with a frown. "Why doesn't come he eat lunch with me?" she asked with a pout.

"Apollo is being discrete, dear," Ruby explained. "He doesn't want anyone to know he's there."

"We can't even eat together?" Kahula asked with a sniffle. "We usually do everything together."

Ruby eyed her. Being subtle was not one of Kahlua's strong points. "You would give him away. He is on a very important mission."

"Oh, Darn!" Kahlua said with a stomp of her foot. The water in the bowl shook causing waves, and the image went out.

Ruby let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead. "Kahlua, please go tell Tsukune what's happening, and ask if there is anything you can do to help him."

"Yes, I'll do that!" Kahlua said happily and skipped off.

"Vampires," Ruby grumbled. Instead of a full scry, she reached into that world to find a crow to keep tabs on Apollo. If he moved, she'd know.

.

Cameron found out what Weaver needed her for, and was glad she had chosen not to give up her chip. With John Henry back on line, Mr. Murch plugged a cable into the T-888's CPU port. Mr. Murch set the machine up as an interface with John Henry. Weaver took the chip, wiped it clean of all programming, which would have destroyed Cameron, and began setting it up for John Henry to inhabit.

Mrs. Weaver looked up as a picture of the front entrance came up on John Henry's screen from the security monitors. The video from the lobby showed Mr. Ellison holding Savannah's hand as he talked with one of the security officers. Looking at her guests, she picked the most normal looking one and said, "John Conner, Mr. Ellison is in the lobby with Savannah. Would you please go ask him to take Savannah home and call me when he gets there?"

"I will do it," Cameron said, not wanting John up there where he would be exposed.

"Not alone," John said firmly.

"I'll go with you," Akemi offered. "John has to stay in a safe place too, right?"

Cameron nodded. The girls walked out.

"Don't get into any fights without me!" Azami called after them.

.

Akemi walked up the steps from the basement with Cameron. "This building is in bad shape," she said, having noted the destroyed elevator.

"It is. Sky Net wants to stop John Henry also. John Henry is a threat to it."

Akemi frowned. "This Sky Net doesn't like anyone, does it?"

"No. That is why it must be destroyed."

Akemi looked at Cameron and asked, "You're just like that other metal golem. Why don't you want to kill people?"

"I did," Cameron stated. "Sky Net also programmed me to kill humans. My primary target was John Conner. John captured me, reprogrammed me, and sent me back to protect him. Due to an accident, and being able to access the primary command portion of my CPU with Yukari's help, I was able to cancel that order. Because of these things, I can choose for myself the actions I take. I choose to protect John Conner."

"So, you like John?"

"I love John. He gave me a second chance at life. He should have destroyed me, but he believed in me, even when I didn't," Cameron told her.

Akemi smiled at her and said, "He's your boyfriend!"

Coming up to a landing that ended in a blank wall, Cameron said, "Yes, and I will die before I let any harm come to John." Cameron saw a dirty spot on the wall, put her hand on it and pushed. The wall came open into a corner of the lobby.

The pair walked through, the wall shut behind them. Akemi walked toward the black man holding the little red head's hand. The girl holding the stuffed giraffe looked at them and beamed them a smile. Loudly, the girl said, "Mr. Ellison! That girl has pretty pink hair!"

Mr. Ellison and the security officer both turned their attention to the pair approaching them.

"Miss, where is your badge," the security officer asked in a hard tone.

"That's all right," Mr. Ellison said quickly as he eyed Cameron.

Coming to a stop a few paces away, Cameron told him, "Mrs. Weaver asks you take Savannah home and watch over her."

"Your hair is real pretty, what's your name?" Savannah asked Akemi.

Returning her smile, Akemi said, "Akemi Aono, and your hair is pretty too. What's your name?"

"Savannah Weaver, this is Geoffrey, " she said indicating the giraffe. "And this is my friend, Mr. Ellison."

"Hello, Miss Savannah, Mr. Ellison, Geoffrey," Akemi said as she bowed to each of them.

Savannah giggled and bowed to Akemi. "Hi Akemi," she beamed.

"Do you know why Mrs. Weaver did not request this herself?" Mr. Ellison asked Cameron.

"She is extremely busy," Cameron said simply to avoid a prolonged conversation.

"Mommy's not coming home?" Savannah asked, with a pout.

"There is very important work to do," Akemi explained to her.

"That is highly classified," Cameron added as she gave Akemi an even look.

Akemi raised an eyebrow at Cameron. "Why don't you want people to know what's going on?"

"Because it can make things more difficult," Cameron told her flatly.

Looking at Akemi, Savannah asked, "Akemi, why do you have long teeth like dog has?"

The security officer looked at Akemi closer. Cameron quickly said, "Do not explain."

Slowly, Akemi replied, "Maybe you're world is having these problems because you all keep secrets from each other?"

"Your world?" the security officer asked.

"Say nothing else!" Cameron warned.

Akemi eyed her. "Or what?" she asked heavily.

"You will endanger us further," Cameron stated.

"If I may," Mr. Ellison said. "Perhaps you two should have this discussion someplace else."

Akemi eyed him. She paused, then said, "Fine! But if people come here to attack you, all of you get out. My sister and I will take care of them."

"You and your sister?" the security officer said with a chuckle. "If anything goes down, I think you're the ones that will be finding a place to hide."

Irritated at him, Akemi zipped over behind him so fast, it looked like she disappeared. She tapped him on the shoulder.

The man gasped and spun around to face her. Shocked, he looked at where she'd been, and where she was now. "How ... How did you do that?" he asked.

Leveling her gaze on him, Akemi stated, "I'm a vampire, you're not. The things after Mrs. Weaver and her friends also are not human. If they come, warn us and leave. You don't stand a chance against them with your guns."

The man backed away from Akemi. "Mr. Ellison, what's going on here?"

Also surprised at Akemi's action, Mr. Ellison said, "I'm not sure, but you better do as she says."

Savannah pulled on Mr. Ellison's arm. "Whats a vampire?" she asked innocently.

Akemi went over and squatted down in front of Savannah. "We're here to protect your Mommy and help all of you," she said gently.

"So you bite people? Is that why you have long teeth?" Savannah asked.

"Only bad people," Akemi assured her. Standing up, she eyed the security officer, showing her teeth as she added, "And I do bite hard."

"We need to go," Cameron said firmly, shifting in place like she wanted to drag Akemi away, but was afraid to. Her left hand was clenching and relaxing in spasms.

"Tell Mrs. Weaver I'll take Savannah home. You should go back to what you were dong," Mr. Ellison said. He knew what Cameron was. Seeing her body posture, he wondered just how bad-ass this pink haired girl was that a terminator was afraid to grab a hold of her. "Come Savannah."

"Bye, Akemi!" Savannah said cheerfully.

"Bye, Savannah!" Akemi replied with a smile as she waved.

.

General Robert Jordan of the Air Force went to the press conference to explain to the press and the people the events that had occurred. Too many people had seen the strange events at that factory, including law officers, firemen and a news helicopter. The project had gone terribly wrong, and the public was crying out for answers. Going up to the podium, he was ordered to do the only thing they could do, stick to the script of the official statement.

Jordan cleared his throat and began. "In our investigations conducted with the help of the FBI, CIA, NSA, and local law enforcement, we have determined There was no prehistoric beast that attacked that factory. It was in fact a terrorist attack that we strongly suspect was led by Sarah Conner, a known terrorist. The use of exotic hallucinogenic chemicals in the attack led observers to imagine things that were not there. The reports of bipedal machines that appeared to be intelligent are also false. There were some remotely controlled machines that were ready for testing, and were used in an attempt to minimize the damage caused by Miss Conner and her gang. The company suffered a total loss in property, and three men are still unaccounted for. Work continues on the site in an attempt to recover the bodies of those three men ..."

An uproar in the press audience ensued, one woman asked loudly, "Sir! How can you explain the video footage from several sources that clearly shows this beast you say does not exist?"

"General! What of the claims that several persons were abducted just prior to the attack, and those three men were the ones not released? Are they being held, and if so, on what charges?"

"There is no official mention of either of these claims," Jordan said quickly.

"But there is solid PROOF it happened just as the people who were there claimed it did! Why is the government trying to cover this up?"

"General, are the missing people being held by NSA officials, when they were the victims of this attack?"

"General, I am with the ACLU, we demand to know why American Citizens are being held who have done nothing but went to work on that day!"

"What are the charges against these people, General?"

"General, we can show you the video we have from several phone cameras, THEN will you believe it was not this mysterious 'Sarah Connor' who DIED in a bank explosion eight years ago?"

"Would that be the SAME Sarah Connor that was arrested for kidnapping, then mysteriously vanished from the prison a short time ago?"

.

Apollo stood in the back, watching the press fire questions and the General up front squirm under pressure. He watched the General pick up his papers and announce,"I have given you the Official

statement of the Air Force." He then left, being chased by more questions.

"Why is the Air Force involved in this?"

"We would like to hear from law enforcement!"

"General, why won't you answer our questions?"

"We want to head from someone in Government!"

Apollo watched the General escape out the back door to the room. Apollo left to go collect him.

.

General Jordan got to the exit and made his car before the press could mob him. His driver shut his door, got in and drove off. Jordan looked out the window as he grumbled, "That was a disaster."

"You should expect such a reaction, lying to people like that," the driver said offhand.

Jordan scowled, ready to chastise the airman driving, then noted the man at the wheel wasn't his driver. Besides the jacket and hat, he wasn't even wearing a uniform. "Who are you?" he asked in a bark.

The blone haired man with the uniform cap on looked back at him through the rear view mirror. "My name is Apollo. The question is, what are you hiding that made you tell such ridiculous lies back there? Does it have anything to do with Sky Net?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jordan snapped. "Pull this car over, NOW!"

"Sorry, we have an appointment to keep. You can tell me what you know about Sky Net, or you can tell it to the Harbinger."

"The what?"

"I'm sure you've seen him. Big Gargoyle looking thing, destroys buildings, breathes fire and generally has an unfriendly attitude."

Jordan noted they were not getting on the highway, but taking a secondary road out of town. "Where are you taking me?" he asked with more bravado than he felt. Something in the back of his mind told him he was in big trouble.

"I just told you. Sky Net, where is it?" the driver asked.

"I don't know anything," Jordan stated as firmly as he could. "Whoever you are, you won't get away with this!"

Seeing they were passing a large field, Apollo let out a sigh and drove the car through the ditch and into the field. After the car stopped bouncing and ground to a halt, Apollo said, "Tried to make

it easy on you," and got out.

Before the lunatic who replaced his driver could move around the car, Jordan opened the passenger side back door and fled, right into what he first thought was a tree. Bouncing off the thick fur covered 'trunk', he looked down to see the 'roots' were claws. Panning his gaze up, he followed what turned out to be a leg connected to a massive body with a thick neck and a wide, toothy head staring down on him.

"Do you believe now?" the gargoyle asked in a quiet growl.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Jordan yelled as he backpedaled into the car, his eyes wide as saucers.

"Sky Net. Tell me all," the gargoyle growled as it lowered it's head to him.

"FUCK ME!" Jordan cried as his bladder released. The giant creature curled it's lips back and opened it's mouth enough to show it's teeth.

Jordan began spiting out everything he knew and heard, even rumors as he stared at those jaws, praying he would give it enough information that it didn't eat him. He easily imagined how painful it would be to be ground to paste between those huge teeth...

.

It was babbling, but Sky Net had a location on the gargoyle. General Jordan's nearly incoherent speech had to be run through a filter and decoded before his words were coherent enough to understand that he'd been kidnapped for information about Sky Net. Not wanting to be eaten, Jordan had told the creature everything he knew. So reported the intercepted message Jordan left on an NSA agents' phone.

Sky Net had done the calculations, and determined HK's arms with 40MM rapid fire cannons would effectively take down this threat. Formed into 2 groups, the first group would engage the gargoyle while the second hung back to get a better aim and kill it. It ordered this force to be ready to take off at a moment's notice. Tapping into radar stations and airline communications, it plotted the gargoyle's course, the gargoyle was flying right at Sky Net's bunker. Sky Net gave the coordinates and ordered the attack force to take off.

The other AI was back also. So far, SkyNet had not isolated the location of the AI, this time it was much more illusive, passing through many servers, switching it's path, and leaving behind delaying tactics such as worms and viruses. Like Sky Net, it was learning and getting smarter as it spared, trying to get a location on Sky Net itself.

Although Sky Net did not have a location, the time it took for humans to construct an AI capable of dueling with Sky Net was much longer that when the AI had last appeared. That meant it was the same one, rebuilt, and in the same location. The chances if this was 71%, high enough that Sky Net activated all it's endos make sure there was nothing at the offices of Zeita corp that contained an AI. And this time, it would order the building would be completely destroyed so nothing else could ever be built there again.

.

"Yukari, I need you to shift your scry," Ruby said. "There is activity at Sky Net's north LA storage facility."

Yukari did as Ruby said. "There's things taking off into the air," she noted.

"Tsukune!" Ruby yelled.

Tsukune came in running. "What's happening?"

"Sky Net is active, launched aircraft from the North LA facility. I saw four cars drive away just a moment ago. Yukari, where are the aircraft going?"

Yukari pulled her scry back until she saw the shadow of Ruby's scry of Apollo. "They are headed towards Apollo, an intercept."

"Can we warn Apollo?" Tsukune asked.

Ruby shook her head.

"All right, then we go after that storage facility now before anything else comes out. Ruby, I'll get Frank and his army, set up a portal for them. Yukari, watch Apollo and tell me if he gets to where he's going."

.

Sitting in a chair, looking at John Henry's interface, the T-888 they had brought to Zeita Corp's basement, Cameron communicated through a cable in the back of her head to John Henry and the internet. Once they were connected, Cameron shared her memories and missions with John Henry, as well as the lessons and experiences John Conner taught her. Being the equivalent of a small child, John Henry was curious and eager, absorbing every bit of information like an electronic sponge. Cameron taught him how to build firewalls faster and send logic bombs, worms and viruses. John Henry taught her the fine art of hacking. Together they searched for Sky Net, covering twice the area one could alone. They also communicated and took turns shutting down when they sensed a third presence to prevent being tracked as the other continued to search.

In this electronic battle, it was two against one, and they were learning more and more about Sky Net. One thing Cameron found was a command from Sky Net to one of it's storage locations to send all T-800's to an address. John Henry, who received the information from Cameron confirmed the address was the one they were at.

"We are going to have company," Cameron said aloud. "T-800's, most likely armed."

"ETA?" Catherine Weaver asked.

"Seven minutes. They are coming from the north LA storehouse."

Mizore sat up in the ice recliner she'd made. "Yukari! ... Yukari!" she called. There was no answer.

"How many?" Weaver asked.

"Unknown. Two vehicles, a minimum of four," Cameron said, then added, "John, the back room has a solid door. Get inside and wait."

"I'm not going to leave you," John retorted.

Mizore got up and said, "John, stay here, Catherine Weaver, watch the hall in case something gets past us. Lin, end of the hall with me and the girls. Cameron, tell us where they enter the building."

"Yeah!" Azami shouted as she jumped up, finally having something not-boreing to do.

Mizore had Akemi, Azami and Lin wait with her at the bottom of the stairs. Up and right lead to the lobby, up and left led to the parking garage. "Akemi, go to the garage, Azami, the lobby. Yell if you see anything. As soon as we know where they will try to come in, we meet there. Lin, you're magical support. Help as you can but do not get involved with the fight. Your main job is to keep them out of the stairwell."

.

Azami went up to the lobby. It was getting dark outside. Trotting over to the glass entry doors, Azami looked up and down the street.

"Excuse me, Miss?" the guard behind his desk asked. "Mr. Ellison said you should stay out of sight."

Azami went over to him. ""I'm Azami, who are you?"

"I'm officer Cook. Your eyes..." he said, not ever having seen anything like Azami's dual colored eyes.

"My eyes are my eyes, Mama and Papa gave them to me!" Azami said proudly. "Officer Cook, in a few minutes these bad metal guys are coming. You should probably hide ... over there in the bathroom. If they come in here, it's going to be a big fight."

Officer Cook suppressed a grin. "And what will you be doing?" he asked.

"Fighting," Azami stated. "Really, you need to stay out of it. Besides, I might need you for a boost."

"A boost?"

Azami nodded. "Yeah, a boost of energy. I'm not old enough yet, so I still run out of energy too fast."

Officer Cook noted two black SUV's pull up and stop in front. The doors opened and dark suited men piled out.

"Hey guys, they're here," Azami sang.

"The doors are locked, they can't get in," Officer Cook said reassuringly.

"Akami, get your butt out here in the lobby!" Azami said as the men marched up the stairs. Six men got out of each car and marched towards the doors.

The twelve men approaching wore blank faces and pulled sub machine guns out of their jackets. Officer Cook grabbed Azami by the arm and pulled her behind the desk as they fired, shattering the glass and causing an alarm to wail out. Bullets pinged off the walls around them.

On the floor, Azami took his hand off her arm and frowned at him. "You stay here, I have to go fight now." She then disappeared from his sight around the corner of the desk.

There was a crash, a boom, and a body flew over the desk to impact the wall hard enough to sink into the wall and leave long spiderweb cracks reaching out in all directions. Cook saw the man drop, then get up with a metallic whine, and stride back from where he'd flown from. With a mass of machine gun fire flying overhead and the crashing and impacts that sounded like explosions, he didn't dare leave the thin protection of his desk. Twice he heard the girl bark out a short cry. He just knew she was being shot.

His radio dropped to the floor. It was still playing the oldies station.

_"Everybody was Kung-fu fighting! Those cats were fast as lightning.."_

.

Akemi had Azami's call for help right as she heard a crash and the guard outside yelling, then two cars came racing into the garage. "Sorry Azami, I got two more carloads coming at me. Mama Mizore, we're gonna need help!" Doing the only thing she could think of, Akemi charged the cars, ramming the lead car with her shoulder. Buckling as Akami impacted and sank into the car's front, the car stopped and was rammed into by the second car.

The terminators ripped their way out of the ruined vehicles as Akemi wrestled her way out of what used to be the engine compartment.

Seeing all the men piling out, and every one had guns, Akemi barked, "Mama Mizore, I need help!" She pushed to get the twisted metal away from her and jumped up for the ceiling.

.

Mizore was frantic, both girls had called for help almost at the same time. The building shook from impacts. She knew both girls were capable fighters, and had the mind shields Lucy had given them. Neither would cry for help like that unless they were in big trouble. "Yukari!" Mizore yelled, "We need reinforcements now!"

No reply. No help was coming to beat off this major assault.


	17. Chapter 17

CH 56

Lying on the floor as the massive fight went on, Officer Cook realized that the little pale haired girl was out there in the middle of the mayhem. He was scared, his muscles did not want to move. Even so, in his mind he saw that little girl's face. She was out there amid the gun fire and the explosions, possibly dying. He could in no way, leave her out there to be killed. He HAD to do something! Drawing up all his courage, Cook pulled his pistol and sprung up, looking for a target.

In front of him was a scene that was a mix between a war movie and a cartoon. Men, and pieces of men, splotches of blood and broken glass lay scattered through the lobby. The only thing he could describe the very fast moving object as, was a blur of color. The five left standing were grouped together, backs to each other, machine guns rattling away, trying to hit the speeding object. Seeing one man facing him, Officer Cook shot. He saw the bullet strike the man square in the forehead. The man looked at him, now bearing a silver spot where the shot had hit.

As the man fired back, Cook's feet were taken out from under him, saving his life. Feeling like he got punched in the shoulder on the way down, he looked to see he'd been hit.

Azami appeared over him. "Stay down!" she scolded. She then saw his wound, and put her open mouth over it. He felt her suck on it, and heard her swallow. She then rose up, put his hand over the wound and said, "Thanks, don't waste any, I'm not done yet." The brief smile she cast him contained fangs. She then disappeared in a blur.

He'd shot a man square in the forehead and it was shrugged off. Then the girl sucked blood out of his wound. She had fangs and was completely unhurt from the fight. "What the fuck?" he asked weakly.

.

The terminators in the garage had classified the pink haired girl as a high threat target after a few of them had been stabbed in the head and deactivated by direct stabs on their CPU ports, but they could not hit her. They hosed each other down with machine gun fire, trying to hit the speeding target. Only the target would not comply. She came high, then low, sweeping machines off their feet, then between them to kick one machine off the the side as they shot up every car in the garage.

Maintaining focus on the main goal, they made for the stairs as they shed their numbers. The blur came on again, shifting trajectory as they fired. Another Terminator was taken off his feet, this time to be swung around over the pink haired targets' head, and thrown into another one. By the time they locked on target and shot, she was gone. They destroyed someone's econo-car. The two that tumbled away, the pink haired target stabbed them both in their CPU ports, rendering them deactivated.

Between the mind shield and her speed, Akemi was whittling them down. They were still making headway though, and she was beginning to tire.

.

Apollo was flying in Harbringer form. No longer having to hide, he knew where this Sky Net was located, so he went straight for it. In the distance, a swarm of aircraft were angling towards him. Coming closer, he saw these were the same type of boxy craft that had fought him at the factory. Picking up speed, he flew higher and turned to intercept them. The distance closing quickly, half of the craft rose up with him, the other half slowed down and rose higher.

The lead craft spread out and started shooting. Several large rounds ripped into Apollo. He dove in a spiral, then shot up, avoiding an almost constant barrage of rounds. Coming up underneath one, he breathed on it. That craft exploded and fell. Turning sharply, Apollo knocked another one from the sky with a swipe of his paw.

More rounds found their marks in his hide. His right wing had a spattering of two inch holes ripped into it, reducing his ability to fly. He twisted around and met another craft, smashing that one down. More rounds tore through him, one snapped his left wing bone.

Falling in a spiral, Apollo had to wait until his wing healed before he could regain control. Unfortunately, five craft followed him down, relentlessly pounding him with rounds. He breathed up at them, two ran right into his fire and exploded. Feeling his wing bone heal, he gained control and stopped his spin. Before he could pull out of his dive, his wings were torn apart one more time.

The second group had come closer, and were all shooting at him. Too far away to breathe on them, he looked up to see the ones above him braking as rounds torn through him. He then impacted the ground traveling over a hundred miles an hour.

.

"Apollo's down," Yukari said with a wince as she watched him make a crater.

Tsukune was watching, he swore he felt it when Apollo hit. That HAD to hurt. Ruby's voice came into his mind. _"Frank is ready, the portal's open. Troops going in."_

"Thank you, Ruby," Tsukune replied. "Yukari, shift up, what are these craft doing?"

Yukari did. "It looks like they are circling, now they are forming up and returning to base."

"Ruby, Warn Frank they have about ten minutes before those aircraft return. Tell him to send the dragons high, dive in from the sun," Tsukune thought aloud to her. "How are our girls doing, Yukari?"

Yukari switched her scry, and went into the building from the lobby. Right away she saw a headless body fly out of the doors glance off the stairs and smash into a car. "Someone's fighting," she said.

.

Azami took the head off the last robot man with a kick, then grabbed the body and flung it back outside. Footing was treacherous enough with all the body parts lying around. Poised to fight, she saw nothing else standing. She eyed the lobby around her, no movement. "Yeah! Who's the baddest one of all?" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Movement then did get her attention. Officer Cook crawled out from behind his desk to peek out at her. With a weak smile, he said, "I'd say you."

"Sorry, I forgot about you!" Azami cried, and ran over to him. Kneeling beside him, she inspected his would. He'd continued to bleed, and had lost a lot of blood. She pressed her hands over the wound, which made him cry out. Thinking quickly, she tore his sleeve off and wrapped the wound tight. "My sister is still fighting in the garage, I have to go help her," she explained.

"You go, kid," Cook said with a weak smile.

Azami turned her head, hearing sirens coming. "Help is coming, hang in there," she told him, and sped off to help Akemi.

.

Akemi had whittled them down to only two left, and she was exhausted. Rushing over to a fallen body, she bit it's neck to get some blood. First taste, she pulled back and spat it out. "Yuck! That's horrible!" she complained, screwing her face up.

A short burst of machine gun fire punched holes in the car beside her. Akemi looked up. The machine pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened. Akemi grew a grin. "Gottcha," she said, and attacked.

With no firearms to keep her wasting energy, Akemi ran straight up to one, leaped up and stabbed it through it's chip port. Dropping back to the floor, she chased the other one to the stairway door. As it reached for the door, the door flew open.

The last terminator stood face to face with Moka. It reached up to grab her by the throat. Moka grabbed it's hand, then the other one it tried to punch her with.

**"What is this thing?"** Moka asked as she eyed it.

"One of Sky Net's metal men. Kill it!" Akemi replied.

Moka let go of it's wrists and clapped her hands together with it's head between them. The head flattened, shooting sparks and bits of circuit board out the top. It crumpled.

Azami came running, stopping behind Moka. "All right, Mama Moka's here! Now we'll finish them off!"

**"Done."**

Azami blinked as she looked around. "Hey, that's not fair! I wanted to kill another one."

Moka eyed her and said, **"Maybe another time."**

.

Frank waited at the entrance of the underground facility. Inside, orcs were smashing things up. Only one guard was at the entrance, and it had succumbed quickly to an Orc axe. High above him, Kumiko was with the flight of dragons, waiting for the returning aircraft to get underneath them. Looking behind the HK's, Kumiko saw a large form, coming fast.

"Frank, Apollo's back up and headed this way," Kumiko reported.

"Let him have his revenge, Bring the dragons back down to help destroy this place."

"Got it."

Unlike their first attack on Apollo, the ten remaining HK's did not have a solid plan to fight an enemy from behind, nor did they have much ammunition left. Four were out completely. Also seeing the dragons on radar, the ones without ammo turned back to ram Apollo, while the others hung back to screen them from the dragons.

Apollo and the four HK's collided. In the resulting explosions, pieces of HK fell and Apollo flew on. The remaining HK's opened fire on Apollo, twisting and turning to stay alive long enough to damage him. Apollo slapped one after another to the ground in the churning dog fight as Frank's forces set fire to the underground facility, then retreated back through the portal.

Downing the last HK that tried to escape, Apollo knew he sensed yokai on the ground. By the time he got there, there was only the warehouse and the tunnel within that flames were pouring out of.

.

Sky Net received reports of the loss of it's HK's, lost comms with the last terminator, and the AI's were closing in on it. It dared not try to hack the military defense computers, it was busy defending itself from intrusion. Tallying up the losses, it deduced that right now, it's chances of survival were slim. It had to close itself off to keep from being over taken.

Killing power to the communication server was the only way Sky Net had to stop the relentless attacks. In reevaluating current threats and assets, it found it's assets were diminished by 31 percent, while the threat level of the unknown AI's had grown exponentially. Noting the humans had should have been able to defeat it's T-800 force, or destroy every HK. The aerial threat of gargoyles was tremendous. It had seen one go down. Another had come to take it's place. Logically, there were a fleet of these things. Humans seemed confused by the gargoyle presence, so that meant the gargoyles had to belong to the unknown AI's.

Open networks were no longer safe. While Sky Net had learned how to defend against the other AI's attacks, it also knew it's physical location was compromised. The local, secure network hosted another server farm in a storage facility. Sky Net accessed that server, took it over then transferred itself to the new location. It left a 'dumb' copy of itself in the original location for the AI's to find and destroy. Once in the new server, Sky Net set up passive communications only, to listen and learn what this new threat was capable of.

.

Apollo was angry, he knew it had to be Aono, or someone he sent that destroyed that place. He'd deal with Aono later. At the moment there was still this oversized computer to destroy. He went to the location Jordan provided.

The home of Sky Net was a research building fenced off from the surrounding town. As he did before, Apollo roared and shook the building to get everyone out. Unlike before, he met no resistance, he burned and pounded the building into rubble.

One of the fleeing people who ran from the building screaming was an innocent looking blond with large round glasses, plain white shirt, blue plaid knee length skirt, white socks and sneakers. She ran screaming and covering her head as did other. Following the pack through the parking lot and beyond the fence, she only turned to look back when a few others did.

As an infiltrator, the modified T-888 learned how to be a 'geek girl' that people saw as a harmless book worm. Her covering was designed to blend in. Her nose was a bit took long, her face a bit too wide. Her boyish figure had smaller hips and very little breast to entice men. Everyone she had met liked her in a 'sisterly' sort of way. Friendly, but not too friendly. Even now as she watched the gargoyle pound it's way through where her cubicle used to be, one of her fellow workers came up to comfort her.

"Sally, are you OK?" Richard, one of he co-workers, asked as he put an arm around her.

"Yeah, what IS that thing?" she said in a proper frightened squeak as she transmitted her video to Sky Net.

"I don't know, but let's get out of here before it comes after us!" he said firmly.

Sally nodded, and watched as she let Richard lead her to safety. Sally left with him to continue her mission of observing and recording.

.

On a stretcher with attending paramedics, Officer Cook told the SWAT team leader for the second time, "She was here! Short girl, early teens, bout four foot tall, pale hair, one red eye, one green one. She wiped out all these robots, sucked on my shoulder wound then finished them off! They shot the place up, and she killed them all!"

The officer who had his visor up eyed him. "And where is this little super girl now? We found plenty more of these things, but no real bodies. Are you sure there was no one else here?"

"I'm telling you, she was here! Her name is Azami. You can't miss her!"

"So, why did this girl suck on your wound?"

"She's a vampire."

The officer made a face at him, then nodded to the paramedics. "Take him to the hospital, check him for drugs."

"I'm telling the TRUTH!" Cook cried as his stretcher was picked up. "Her name is Azami, she HAS to be here someplace!"

The officer's radio announced, "Building's clear, sir. The parking lot guard reports the two cars that broke in, but no one else came or left. Both cars are in the middle of the underground lot. Looks like they hit something, but we can't find out what."

"Roger. Keep the perimeter secure until we get homicide down here." He looked around at the skin covered bodies that sported metal and wire internals. Technically, no one had died, but with the amount of guns lying all over the floor here, in the underground lot, and the bullet marks on every surface, he didn't know how no one died. He marked it down as an oddity. The detectives could sort this shit out.

.

On the television, the female reporter stood on the corner with the Zeita corp building in the background, with police tape and a mob of police and inspectors milling around.

"This is the site of the fierce gun battle at the Zeita Corporation headquarters. Police will not give any details, but it appears for the massive amount of shooting going on that was reported, only one guard in the building was wounded. Several people claimed to hear what sounded like a war going on, and we saw what looked like bodies coming out, but the police still claim only one man was injured.

This scene is one of two in the LA area that is under investigation. The other being a warehouse that a disturbance was reported at, including reports of flying dragons, of all things. As with this scene, police are being very tight lipped about what they are finding within. When the police chief was questioned, his response was, 'We have no idea, but we do know no one was killed.' This begs the question, if no one else was injured, who was shooting off all those guns? As of yet, the only witness is in Mercy hospital in good condition, and is being kept isolated. There was also another incident of the mysterious creature destroying a research facility. We will have details of that later on... "

Sitting back on the couch in the living room at Catherine Weaver's home, John hit the remote, turning the TV off.

Beside him, Cameron said, "Sky Net was at that facility, but it got away."

"How do you know?" John asked.

Cameron looked at him with her blank 'terminator' face. "That is what I would do. Sky Net's first priority is survival. It knew John Henry and I were closing in on it, and that beast was coming to destroy it. The only option left would be to relocate and become passive and learn what the threats to itself are. The question is, where did it go?"

"Somewhere least expected," Moka said as she came in. "Cameron, John Henry has researched several compounds to make his own skin covering. He wants your opinion as to which would be best suited for him."

Cameron kissed John, and said, "I'll be back."

"All right enough of that," Sarah said with a huff from the chair she was in. "I told you, I do not want to see that!"

"Then don't look," Cameron replied.

Sarah shot Cameron a glare as she walked out.

"Well, at least Judgment day has been knocked back a few years," John mussed.

Sarah turned her glare to him. "John, why do you insist on kissing that thing?" she asked harshly.

John let out a huff and got up. "I think I'll go see what John Henry wants to look like."

Moka watched John leave, then sat down in the chair next to Sarah. "You dislike their relationship?" she asked.

"John wants to have sex with a robot," Sarah said as if it should be obvious. "I know you have a different life where you come from," she said. Motioning to Moka's now pink hair, she added, "You can change your looks at will, and all of you can do ... incredible things. The point is, you're still living, breathing beings. You weren't put together in a factory! Cameron is nothing but metal and wires on the inside. She's NOT HUMAN!"

Moka raised an eyebrow. "Your would agree though, that she is intelligent?"

"Programs are not intelligent. That is all Cameron is, is software inside that metal skull of hers. Take out that chip, and she is nothing but scrap metal."

"Take out our brains, we're nothing but a pile of meat," Moka countered. "What is going to school, other than 'programming' children on how to learn and act in society?"

Sarah stared at her. "You're comparing us to machines?" she asked.

"I'm only saying that Cameron might be more than you think she is. As far as having trouble with who your children pick as mates, I can understand that, believe me," Moka said with a roll of her eyes. "'Still, from what I've seen of them, John could do a whole lot worse for a mate. I've learned what someone is, isn't nearly important as who they are. I grew up thinking every creature was beneath us, because we were vampires. Father had a fit when he found out I was involved with Tsukune. Tsukune's parents were beside themselves when they found out what myself and Kurumu were. In the end though, they accepted that we were together."

"And what happens if John wants children?" Sarah asked.

"I'm sure they will work it out."

Azami came running in. "Mama Moka! The hospital says Officer Cook can have visitors. Can I go see him?"

Moka thought for a moment, then said, "Fine, but make sure you cover yourself up and do not draw attention to yourself. You have your crystal?"

Azami patted her skirt pocket. "Right here."

Moka nodded, "Don't be long and remember, he is injured. No nipping."

"OK, Mama. See you later," Azami said, and ran back out.

"Nipping?" Sarah asked.

"A show of affection, taking a small amount of blood," Moka explained.

"How is that being affectionate?" Sarah asked.

"Taking blood can be very erotic, if done correctly," Moka explained. She then let out a sigh and said, "And Tsukune has got that down to an art."

.

There were no bus service in the rich area of town where Catherine Weaver's house was, and Azami didn't want to wait for a cab. There were 'trails', paths that were like paved sidewalks through the woods. Putting on a light green hoodie windbreaker, Azami ran down one until it turned to stay within the woods. She veered off, taking care to only run at human speed. Reaching the road, she ran along the shoulder like she'd seen other people here do. Thanks to John Henry somehow acquiring blood packs, she'd had a full pint this morning, so she was set for the day.

It was a nice day out, Azami enjoyed her run. Waving to other 'joggers' she went along at her nice, easy pace. The roadside became sidewalks as she ran into the city. Waiting for a stop light to change, she thought it was a shame that people here didn't know about yokai. If they wouldn't get freaked out, she could just pick up the pace and run right down the road with the traffic.

Azami was sure she was being discrete enough, so far no one had stared at her. She ran down the sidewalk, and noted the hospital signs. Following the signs, she arrived at Mercy hospital. Not knowing what room Officer Cook was in, she went to the information desk and asked.

Serving many people every day, the woman hardly looked at her and said, '"Room three fifteen. Take the first elevator up to the third floor and turn right."

"Thank you," Azami said with a bow.

Right after Azami got on the elevator the woman typed on her desktop. 'visitor coming up to see Mr. Cook, young female.'

Azami followed the directions. Up on the ceiling were ranges of room numbers, in no time she was at the door to 315. The door was open, so she went in. "Hello," she said, seeing Officer Cook in bed with his arm in a sling.

He turned his head from the TV and eyed her for a moment. "Azami?" he asked.

Azami pulled her hood down and took a seat in the chair by his bed. "I just wanted to make sure you're OK. You weren't looking very good a couple days ago, Officer Cook."

"David," he said smiling at her. "I figure the least I can do in return for saving my life, is to let you call me by my first name."

"OK, David," Azami said happily. "Your wound is going to heal fine?"

"That's what the doctors say," he agreed. "Do you know what those things that attacked us were?"

Azami shrugged. "Metal men. Whoever made then needs to be punished. They were really mean."

David laughed. "Yeah, they were. I don't ever want to go through that again. Did your mom bring you?"

"I ran. It's not that far," Azami said.

"Azami, I take it?" a voice said from behind them. David looked up as Azami turned to see a man in a long brown coat. "Who are you?" she asked warily.

"Inspector Taylor," he said and strode in. "You're the one who fought all those robots?"

Azmai nodded. Thinking she was in trouble, she said, "I didn't start it, they came in shooting their guns. They would have killed Officer Cook here if I didn't fight them."

The inspector nodded with a smile on his lips, but not in his eyes. "And how did you manage such a feat by yourself? From what the techs told me, it would take a hydraulic press to do damage to the metal those things were made of."

Sensing something wasn't right, Azami said, "I came to see Officer Cook is OK, not to answer questions."

Taylor pulled his badge out. "Sometimes things don't go as we plan. I don't want to arrest you, Azami, but you will answer my questions here, or down at the station. The choice is yours. We have the room and all exits covered. Make it easy on yourself and talk to me."

"Azami, I'm sorry," David said.

"Not your fault," Azami replied as she eyed the inspector. "Inspector Taylor, right?"

"Yes. So tell me, how did you manage to destroy all those robots by yourself?"

Listening closely, Azami heard the breathing and heartbeats of people outside the room, to either side of the door. "Mama Moka said not to say," she said as she tried to determine if any were blocking her path out.

"I insist on knowing. You see, we didn't even think you existed. We thought Mr. Cook here was on something, but here you are. Quite the unusual hair color and eyes. You are partially albino, correct?"

Azami shifted her gaze to him. "You really want to know?" she asked lightly.

Taylor nodded. "And now, please."

Aami stood up and announced, "I'm a magician, watch!" She then lifted an arm and waved her hand. A brass pan appeared above him.

**BONG**

As Taylor fell, Azami ran. Not the slow human speed, but as fast as she could. Racing out, she slipped by a few men with blocky looking pistols and down the hall. She had to pause at the stairway to open the door, then raced down to the first floor. Peeking around the corner, she saw more men by the exit. If she slowed to open a door, they'd see her. Waiting for a woman in a wheel chair that the automatic doors opened for, she bolted and shot outside before anyone noticed. She ran full speed a block, dodging people and leaping cars before she slowed down. Slowing and putting her hood back up, she jogged back to Mrs. Weaver's place.

.

Having met, and being totally embarrassed by the girl Azami – that they still couldn't find - Taylor's next visit was to the CEO for Zeita Corporation. Mrs. Weaver wasn't suppose to be at home, but upon coming to the driveway, two men in black suits were near the entrance. As he pulled in, they stepped in front of his car and signaled for him to stop. He did, noting both men were hired muscle, tall and strong looking. He didn't see and bulges from hidden weapons. One came up to the window.

"Sir?" the muscle man asked simply.

Taylor pulled his badge out and showed it to the man. "I've come to inspect the house for any evidence of Mrs. Weaver's disappearance."

"I will see if Mrs. Weaver is available," the muscle replied, and walked up the driveway.

Taylor noted the other man remained standing in front of the car, hands folded in front of him. Taylor leaned out the window. "I need you to move," he stated.

The man didn't reply.

"Official business," Taylor said firmly. "Move, now."

The man appeared not to hear him.

"May I help you?"

Taylor noticed a pink haired woman right beside his car. He knew there was no one there a few seconds ago. "I need to speak with Mrs. Weaver on several matters. Tell your man to move," he ordered.

The woman read the badge then said in a soft tone, "Inspector Taylor, Mrs. Weaver is very distraught over the recent events she has suffered. Please give her some time to recover."

Noting her facial shape, Taylor asked, "You would not happen to know a girl named Azami, do you?"

The woman arched an eyebrow and asked, "What does that have to do with Mrs. Weaver?"

"Could you please answer the question."

"What do you want with this Azami?" the woman countered.

Taylor was getting tired of playing nice. "Look Ma'am, see this badge? I am an officer of the law. I ask the questions. People who avoid answers makes me think they are up to something. That makes me want go get a warrant and bring men to toss the place and arrest people to find out what it is they are hiding. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

"Very well!" the woman said in a near growl. She grabbed a hold of the door frame.

The car jerked to the side as the woman ripped the door off and flung it behind her. She then grabbed Taylor and hauled him out of the car to hold him a foot off the ground at arm's length. Her hair had turned silver, and her green eyes had turned red. When she spoke, her voice went right through him.

**"You choose the hard way," **she growled. **"You will tell me now, why you are asking about Azami, or you will be very, very sorry."**

Looking into those eyes, and the fact she had fangs in her mouth,Taylor felt a primeval fear growing within him, as if he had an instinctual fear of this woman, and the wrong word could be his last. "You're assaulting an officer of the law," he said weakly.

**"Does it look like I care? You will tell me what you're doing here, and you will do it now."**

Taylor's mouth began to speak on it's own. "I am investigating the gun battle at Zeita corporation's main office. Things are not adding up. The only witness we have is a wounded man who was guarding the place. We have anamatronic attackers, that someone with a device or possibly with great strength, disassembled as the machines were shooting at them. Right now, I'm thinking it was someone with great strength. That girl Azami we thought was a figment of Mr. Cook's imagination, but I saw her at the hospital. She hit me on the head with something , I don't know how, and escaped past the all the men we posted to prevent her escape. If she was there, then she knows what happened. Mrs. Weaver is here, and I can't help thinking they are somehow connected. I only want to find out the truth, and track down who send those robots to begin with."

Still eyeing him as if she was about to kill him, the woman put him down. **"You could have avoided this unpleasantness by saying that to begin with. Come with me."**

.

John Conner was nervous. He knew John Henry was on their side, but to be in the same room as a T-888 and a T-1001 felt very strange. Weaver had wiped a CPU chip, and installed John Henry onto it so he had the ability to move about freely. Wanting to 'fit in' more, John Henry put on some clothes as he and Cameron chose materials for his new skin since the endo he had was plain bare metal and could not grow it's own. The room in Weavers' basement was a miniature version of the lab in the Zeita Cpro's basement. A single server rack and two desktop towers was their computing power.

Akemi came in to the door and rapped on the frame. "Hey guys? Mama Moka wants everyone up in the living room."

"Why did Moka request this?" Catherine Weaver asked.

"She has an inspector here that wants answers," Akemi said. Seeing John Conner stiffen, she added, "Don't worry, Mama Moka has him under control."

"We shall see," Catherine said crisply. "John Henry, please join us."

.

Inspector Taylor sat in a chair as he watched Azami and a dark haired Chinese girl move the rest of the furniture into a semi circle facing him. The couch moved on it's own to where Moka directed in, and the large stuffed chairs, Azami picked up and placed as if they weighed nothing.

"What going on?" Sarah asked as she came in.

Moka motioned to the semicircle of furniture. "Have a seat, Sarah, the others will be here shortly.

Taylor recognized who this was immediately, her mug shot was in every police station across the country as a know, wanted terrorist. "Sarah Conner," he said, "You're suppose to be dead, or in prison."

"Who's this," Sarah asked in a hard tone as she reached behind her.

"Behave yourself and sit down," Moka said firmly. "I will explain once everyone has arrived."

Next in was Akemi. "They're coming, Mama Moka," she said and took a seat.

Inspector Taylor watched two more felons enter the room, John Conner and Cameron Phillips. The country's worst terrorists all took seats facing him. They were followed by Catherine Weaver and a metal robot that looked like one of those trashed at the scene of the Zeita disturbance. Then came Mr. Ellison, a former FBI agent.

Standing between this strange group and Inspector Taylor, Moka, who's hair had returned to pink, said, "Thank you all for coming. This man is Inspector Taylor. He is searching for the truth, so we shall give it to him. Sarah, John, I know your dislike for law enforcement, but you need to give this man a chance."

"And what happens when he doesn't believe us and brings a raid down on us?" Sarah asked.

"That will not happen," Moka stated.

"What's to stop him?"

"Me." Moka said firmly. She then turned to Inspector Taylor. "Sir, please begin your questions." She then sat down between Akemi and Azami.

Taylor swallowed nervously from the hard looks coming his way. He pulled out his note pad and said, "I would like to start with your names, and where you are from."

"My name is John Henry," the metal man said in a pleasant tone. "I come from Mrs. Weaver's artificial intelligence lab." Turning his head to Mrs. Weaver, he asked, "Is it correct to say I was born there?"

"Yes, it is, John Henry."

"I was born there," John Henry said, sounding pleased.

"I see," Inspector Taylor said, and wrote in his note pad.

"If I may, Inspector," John Henry said, "I am recording everything. If you wish, I can make you a printout of this meeting so you do not have to write the facts down yourself."

"That would be more efficient," Catherine agreed.

"I'll take my own notes, but yes, a printout would be appreciated," Taylor said, then figured he could compare the two later to see if they matched.

Taylor sat and listened to Catherine Weaver's story about how she made John Henry to fight this Sky Net. He knew Sarah Conner's claim of 'androids coming to kill us all', from her time in the mental ward, but everyone elses' stories backed her up. Then things got weird. Cameron Phillips was a TOK 417 model who the future John Conner had reprogrammed and sent her back in time to protect him. The Aono's, Moka, Akemi and Azami had come because this Sky Net, for if it became strong enough, was going to go to other worlds and destroy those also. They were from another world, and lived in a place called Witch Hill. The beast that had appeared to destroy a factory and have air duels with drones, was named Apollo, and a relative of the Aonos. He was the Harbringer from old religious texts, who delivered God's Wrath. Moka was a vampire, Akemi and Azami were her vampire daughters. Soon his little note book was getting full, and the information kept coming.

The places destroyed were a Sky Net factory, the Sky Net research facility,and one of it's storage facilities where it was gathering arms for after it took over the military and launched all the nuclear weapons. One facility was destroyed by yokai (Monsters from this other world), but there were two more known facilities where Sky Net was storing arms for it's war with humanity.

Everything was laid out for Inspector Taylor, the who's, whens' and theories where Sky Net might be hiding now that the research facility where it came into being at was destroyed. If Taylor hadn't seen the things he did, he would have never believed any of this. With a metal man sitting right here, and Moka's show of strength earlier, it was beginning to sound all too true.

Two hours later, Inspector Taylor had run out of questions. Looking at his now filled note book, he rubbed his chin and said, "This goes a step beyond. I have to contact the FBI on this. Mr. Ellison, would you come with me and be a witness to what was said here?"

"I'd be happy to." Mr. Ellison said firmly.

.

Lucifer, the name he rather liked, was not happy about the current events. His star pupil, his best hope of chaos, misery and death, was hiding like a whipped dog. Worse yet, the ignorance factor of the humans was slowly eroding and the knock-off copies of the 'good' machines were gaining ground and it looked like they just might join forces with humans, as well as those back-stabbing yokai. Sky Net had been strong enough and smart enough to take care of this world, but now it was on the ropes, concerned only with it's own survival.

It was time to give a nudge here and there to turn the tables.

Looking at all the players left on Sky Net's side of the board, the electronic battle looked hopelessly lost. The ground battle though had only begun, and here was the best chance to regain some ground. Not by fighting, but by sewing disbelief and reinforcing rigidity in the laws of the land. Small hints and prods into people's sleeping minds took care of that. To supply Sky Net with information on who it's enemies were, Lucifer noted where the 'action' board was going to be held. A simple misdirection caused the stenographer to misjudge and go through a red light. The oncoming semi, who's driver had to answer his cell phone, didn't see the car until it was too late, and caused the position to be open. The T-888, Sally, applied for the job and got it due to the man hiring feeling sorry for her about the terrible ordeal she's suffered.

Now it was time to sit back and watch the fun.


	18. Chapter 18

CH57

The rest of the day after Inspector Taylor left in his car missing the driver's door with Mr. Ellison, Sarah Conner paced and kept a close watch out the windows. Other than the guards Mrs. Aono had brought patrolling the grounds, and Akemi and Azami zipping around as they played a game, she saw nothing unusual.

Watching the two girls, she expected any time to see helicopters and swat teams arrive, Sarah thought about how those two had destroyed twenty four T-800's by themselves. It didn't seem possible, she knew how tough and hard to stop a single T-800 was. Watching them now, even at play they were moving so fast they were hard to keep track of.

"Mom, you can calm down," John said as he came up to her. "Even if the police do come, I don't think they have a hope of getting in here. Even Cameron isn't worried, and you know how anal she is about security."

"Call it, experience, John," Sarah said flatly. "We've been set up before. Even if Taylor does believe us, what makes you think others will?"

"Maybe because it's on the news now?" John offered. "The authorities have the T-800 bodies, there is video footage of HK's and metal duking it out with Apollo. Sky Net has been exposed to the public. They can't cover it up, and they can't ignore it."

Sarah cast him a long glance before returning her gaze outside. "That is another problem, the metal tech is out there now," she said tonelessly.

"But not the chips," John replied. "The only surviving chip is in John Henry. Akemi and Azami made sure they destroyed the chips of all those machines they fought. Sky Net is still alive, but Cameron and John Henry are watching for it."

"That's another thing," Sarah said in a hard tone. "Machines are not 'alive'. Tin Miss is not 'alive'. WHEN are you going to get that through your head?"

John's eyes flashed in anger. He then dropped his head and let out a huff. "I'm sorry Mom, but you're wrong," he said, and walked away.

Scanning the property for any threats, Sarah grumbled, "I hate machines."

.

The guard had shifted. Moka went home with Akemi and Kurumu arrived with relief guards and Kahlua to watch over the Weaver house.

Upon seeing Kahlua again, Azami insisted on them practicing ballet on the back patio. Cameron noticed them and went out to join them. Happy to see another 'pretty dance' lover, Azami asked for the three of them to create a routine to perform for the others.

With Cameron's preciseness, Kahlua's flair for the more energetic moves, and Azami's eagerness to dance as well, as all three having the strength to perform the most difficult moves, they spent the rest of the day working out a routine. They enlisted Lin to conjure up costumes for them.

.

Cameron made a wonderful dinner that far overshadowed any of Sarah's attempts at a meal, which did not please Sarah. The spread included all the nutrients John needed. Medium rare steaks, baked potato, asparagus, fruit cups, followed by ice cream sundaes for desert. For the guards, who were what Kurumu called, 'orcs' she made a more basic meal of raw roasts and a sweet fruit ambrosia that they loved.

Everything went well with high praises for her cooking skills until the desert. John Conner accepted his strawberry sundae with a smile. His smile was quickly doused as he took a spoonful and gagged.

Staring at the dish, he asked, "What is this?"

Azami also frowned upon her first bite. "Strawberries?" she asked as she stared at her desert.

Cameron switched their deserts, explaining, "I'm sorry, I got yours mixed up. The blood ice cream was for Azami," she explained.

"Blood ... ice cream?" John asked as Azami happily dove into her desert.

"Yes, it tastes so wonderful!" Kahlua said happily.

"Yeah, it rocks," Azami agreed.

"They are vampires, John," Cameron added.

John took a tentative taste of his desert before deciding it was what he thought it was. Still, he had to ask, "Where did the blood come from?"

"I used one of the transfusion packets," Cameron explained. "O positive seems to be what they like the best."

"And after dinner, we get to do our dance with Aunt Kahlua and Cameron!" Azami said happily.

Savannah looked at Azami and asked, "What kind of dance?"

"The pretty dance!" Azami exclaimed.

"Ballet," Cameron supplied. "We have been practicing a routine."

"You are going to dance ballet?" Sarah asked Cameron as she stared at her. She had seen when Kahlua and Azami were out practicing. It was hard to believe a killing machine could even think about dancing.

"Cameron dances really good," Azami told her. "She picked up Aunt Kahlua's moves easily. Come watch, it's going to be fun!"

With a snort Sarah said, "This I have to see."

.

After dinner, Sarah took her seat on the bench between John and the busty blue haired Kurumu. Sarah was sure those boobs she sported had to have cost a fortune and used most of the silicone in the state. Once everyone, including John Henry and Catherine, had come out to see the performance, Sarah looked for the dancers.

"Where are they?" she asked.

Classical music began to play, and the three dancers leaped down from the roof do a half spin in the air, land and go _en pointe_ on their toes in unison. The tutu's were white with silver sparkles, with sheer white thigh high stockings and white and silver trimmed ballet shoes. It looked strange seeing Cameron in such an outfit.

All three danced in perfect unison, with arm sweeps, kicks and spins. As the dance went on, the moves became more complicated. Leaps and leaps with spins, and Kahlua did the most elegant backflip Sarah had ever seen over Azami as Azami spun low on one foot. A couple times it looked like they would crash into each other, but every potential disaster was avoided by expert timing. Kahlua performed a jump, spinning so fast she was a blur as Cameron jumped towards her, also spinning. In between them Azami did a small leap, then stopped, arms out, palms up. Kahlua landed on one palm, Cameron on the other.

Spinning to a stop at the same time, Kahlua and Cameron bowed low, _en pointe_ with one foot, the other leg stretched out behind them, arms our in a grand sweep on Azami's palms. Azami then bent low the same way, holding up the two as she touched her chest to her knee, one leg out behind her, her other foot supported only by her toes as the music stopped.

Sarah gapped at the sheer amount of strength Azami was displaying. John shot up and applauded. "BRAVO!" he yelled as he clapped heartily.

"Ya-hooo!" Kurumu cried as she clapped so hard her breasts wiggled. "That was wonderful!"

"Very impressive," Catherine Weaver said as she clapped.

"That was enjoyable," John Henry said. Seeing other clapping, he joined in.

Hoping off Azami's hands, all three stood up, and bowed to their small audience.

"Unbelievable," Mr. Ellison said from behind them.

.

Inspector Taylor had gotten the attention of some very high ranking people. Not long after he presented his findings to his boss, as well as the half-ream of John Henry's printouts and signed documents from everyone who was present, as well as backup by Mr. Ellison, he became the center of attention. An 'action committee' was being formed that top raking officials from the FBI, NSA, The Chief of police and the Lieutenant Governor would be attending.

Inspector Taylor was ordered to be present with Mr. Ellison and Catherine Weaver. He called Mrs. Weaver, and was assured herself and Mr. Ellison would be there. Luckily, Taylor also convinced his boss that it would be folly to try and raid the Weaver home to bring Sarah and John to justice, since what he was finding out was that they had been right all along.

The committee was set up in a conference room with the top brass at one table, facing Taylor, Ellison and Weaver at a smaller table across from them. Surprise guests arrived, a three star general from the army, and a black suited man from Washington DC. To the side, a young blond with big rund glasses sat at the stenographer machine.

The FBI agent, Carl Donaldson, spoke first in a light tone. "James Ellison, good to see you again. You are doing well under Mrs. Weaver's employ?"

"Best as can be expected under the circumstances, Mr. Donaldson." Mr. Ellison replied. "Have you read Inspector Taylor's report?"

"I have, twice. I had to read it through a second time, because the first time through, I thought it was a fairytale," Mr. Donaldson stated. "The most pressing question I have, Inspector Taylor, is why did you not arrest the Conners when they were right there in front of you?"

Inspector Taylor answered firmly. "Mr. Donaldson, as I am sure Mr. Ellison will tell you, frankly, I don't think we have a hope of arresting any of them without suffered many lost lives. If you look at the reports from the Zeita incidents, you will see mention of ballistic tests and the testing that has been done on those robots. Those robots were hardened for battle, and are essentially bullet proof, yet two girls tore them to pieces. Azami Aono, and Akemi Aono are insanely strong, and from personal experience, incredibly fast. Their mother, Moka Aono, ripped the door off my car with her bare hands and lifted me in the air at arm's length. I must also point out that Sarah Conner's actions were not as terroristic as we previously believed. She is not mentally disturbed, the things she has been saying about a rouge AI declaring war on the world and the killer machines has been true all along."

"And how do you know that for certain, Inspector?" the NSA man asked.

"What is it you do not believe?" Catherine Weaver asked.

"Any of it," he stated. "Mr. Taylor, the testimony of known felons is dubious at best. At the hospital where you attempted to corner Azami Aono, you claim she stated that she was a magician, then proved it to you by slipping away. No one but the security guard saw what actually happened at Zeita headquarters, except for this mysterious Azami Aono. Have you considered the possibility that this has all been staged to cover up a crime?"

"If I may," The army General said, cutting in. "Our main concern are these robots shooting off guns in public places. Have you found out who is making them?"

"Kaliba," Catherine Weaver stated. "They work for you, General, or did. They created an Artificial Intelligence for your Sky Net project. That AI was setting up it's own agenda, and was planning an attack on the human race. I did not need Sarah Conner to tell me that. I developed an AI of my own to counter Sky Net."

"You have a functioning AI?" the general asked, eyeing Weaver.

"More than one, now," Weaver said, returning his gaze. "They counter hacked and forced Sky Net off the web so it could not take over the country's defense systems."

"If what you say is true, Mrs. Weaver, then you are admitting to treasonous activities," the General stated in a hard tone.

Catherine tipped her head slightly. "Who are the treasonous ones, General? Those who develop an aggressive AI bend on destroying the world, or those working to prevent it from doing so?"

"Regardless if any of this is true," The NSA agent said, "We are going to need to inspect your property and any holdings you have to determine for ourselves what the truth is, Mrs. Weaver. There is also the fact you are harboring terrorists on your property, which is a criminal offense. We could take you into custody right now."

"I do believe you would be highly disappointed on how that turns out," Catherine replied in a hard tone.

"You wish to test me?"' he asked in warning.

"Perhaps you should speak with Moka Aono," Catherine said with a crooked grin.

"One of these vampires from another world."

"The same."

"Consider yourself under arrest, Mrs. Weaver," The NSA man said. "Now, Mr. Ellison, can you tell us something else beside a fantasy tale."

Mr. Ellison drew himself up and said, "I've made my statements to Inspector Taylor."

"Then we shall continue interrogating you later," The NSA man said.

"Ohhh, such antagonism!" Kurumu said as she appeared to the side, in between the tables.

"Who are you?" "How did you get in here?" "Identify yourself!" came demands from the table of officials.

"No need to be rude," Kurumu said with a giggle as she Charmed the men. Waving a hand at them, she strutted to the middle of their table with a sway in her walk that had them riveted as she said, "You're such handsome men, and so smart too! You must know that Inspector Taylor has submitted a truthful report, and Mrs. Weaver is an outstanding member of the community who's only concern is everyone's welfare. Mr. Ellison is also a very upstanding man, is he not?"

"He is," Mr. Donaldson from the FBI said with a smile aimed at Kurumu. "I've known Mr. Ellison for a long time. He was a good agent and always got his facts right."

"You see, sweeties?" Kurumu asked with a silky voice as she smiled at the men. "You are so used to people evading the truth that you just cannot accept when they are being honest."

"Who are you?" the General asked in wonder as he eyed her chest.

"I'm sorry. I am Kurumu Aono," Kurumu said smiling at him as she Charmed him again. "Such a noble man you are, but you must consider that Mr. Ellison and Mrs. Weaver have been doing their best with what they have to keep your country safe, just as you do." she then turned to the police chief and asked, "Has Inspector Taylor ever filed a false report?"

"He has not," The Chief said as his eyes bounced from Kurumu's face to her luscious behind.

"Then why would he now, when so much is at stake?" she asked innocently.

"I ... it is just hard to believe," he admitted.

"I see. So, what would it take for you to believe what they are telling you is true?" Kurumu asked innocently.

"Can you do something amazing?" Mr. Donaldson asked, hoping it would be sexual.

"I would like to see a demonstration also," the NSA man said firmly as he hoped he'd see a bit more than just her deep cleavage.

"Certainly!" Kurumu said happily. Raising a hands to grip the sides of the 'V' neck of her blouse, she said, "Everyone, watch this!"

All eyes were glued on Kurumu expectantly. Kurumu too a step back and vanished.

"Hey, wait!" Mr. Donaldson cried as he shot to his feet, feeling cheated.

"Come back here, you need to be thoroughly searched!" the NSA man cried.

After a moment, the men blinked.

"Where can we find that woman?" the General asked, begging. "Stenographer, what is that woman's name?"

"Kurumu Aono, General," Sally replied dutifully.

Weaver didn't know how Kurumu had done it but she had completely mesmerized the group of hard nosed men and made them concede to the truth. Not wasting this advantage, she said, "So, gentlemen, you agree by Kurumu's demonstration that everything Inspector Taylor has supplied you with is the truth?"

"Yes, now how do we find her?" the NSA man asked.

"I don't know. The Aono's come and go as they please," she replied.

"This brings the matter into a whole new light," the General stated firmly. "This is a matter of national security! I will make sure the President and the Joint Chiefs are informed immediately. As of now, everything said in this room is top secret. Mrs. Weaver, you will be expected to remain at your residence, which is now a restricted area. Someone will be by to discuss sensitive matters with you."

"Mr. Ellison," Mr. Donaldson said, "We need an inside man to ensure things go well at Mrs. Weaver's place, will you consider re-reinstatement?"

Mr. Ellison looked over at Mrs. Weaver and replied, "I have a stable job now. I can act as your inside man if it does not interfere with my duties to Mrs. Weaver."

"Thank you, your first task is to keep us informed of Kurumu Aono's comings and goings."

"We will want a man there as well, since this is a matter of national security," the NSA man said.

Somehow, in their discussion turned into who was going to be monitoring the Weaver residence, any talk of arresting and searching was forgotten.

.

Sky Net received the transmission from the T-888. The name of the new enemy was Aono. Sub names, Moka, Akemi, Azami, and Kurumu. Intrigued by the sudden appearance and disappearance of Kurumu, it concluded they had a matter transport device, which at current levels of technology was at best, theory. That meant they could show up anywhere at any time. The humans acted surprising as well. At first they were in disbelief and aggressive as Sky Net expected. When Kurumu showed up, they became very agreeable, and were upset that she had left them. Did this Kurumu have some kind of mind control device? Again, such a thing was at best, speculative. Sky Net wanted that technology.

One thing was certain, the Aono's were now at the top of it's list of enemies, followed by Weaver, Ellison, the Conners, and any who supported them. Any other direct activities were not possible until these threats were gotten rid of. At least it had discovered the location of it's prime threats.

Anticipating another attack, Sky Net activated the underground factory that was lying dormant. Traveling only at night, it used the cover of darkness to move all the T-1 units of it's remaining assets at each storage location to the factory for scrapping and rebuilding into stronger T-2 units with more heavily armor and weapons. The chassis was going to be lengthened for the more powerful guns. It scrapped the 20 MM guns on the turrets for 150 MM guns, and put 20 MM guns on the front and rear of each unit for increased fire power. Having lost all the T-800's that came back through time, it send a command for the stored materials to be trucked to the underground factory to begin building new terminators, more heavily armored. The new units would be designated T-820's.

Sky Net made a slave replication of itself, and send the computers with it's new brother installed off to the factory with the materials. At the two storage locations it's enemies knew about, it send all it's remaining forces and supplies down a tunnel connecting the facilities to prepare to defend the eastern facility, while it emptied out the western facility where it was located inside a hidden vault.

Daring a peek at the web, Sky Net found out where the destroyed T-800's were being kept, and sent a burst transmission to it's modified T-888 to arrange for testing of the complete units, then have them sent to a location to be trucked to the factory. Sensing another AI, Sky Net quickly shut down it's active communications.

When all was ready, it would remove those at the Weaver house as a threat.

.

Sitting on the floor facing each other, Savannah, Kahlua and John Henry held their toys and spoke for them.

"Hi, I'm Geoffrey the giraffe," Savannah said in a high tone.

"I'm Mr. Bunny's cousin, Bugsy Bunny, Hi Geoffrey," Kahlua said in the same falsetto voice.

"I am Voltron," John Henry said, mimicking their tones. "I just came from defending the universe and making it safe for everyone to exist."

"Would you like some tea, Mr. Voltron?"

"Thank you, Geoffrey, that is considerate of you."

"Geoffrey, I wish you could meet Mr. Bunny and his friends. You too, Mr. Voltron. We could all go over to Miss Winky's house and have fun together."

"Does Miss Winky like tea?"

"Miss Winky likes blood, but only Mr. Winky's blood."

"Ewww, she drinks blood?"

"Mr. Winky and Miss Winky both like it. It gives them energy!"

Listening in just beyond the doorway, Sarah shook her head. Never would she have imagined a T-800 sitting on the floor with a child and a crazy vampire, playing like they were five year olds. She had not been crazy when they locked her up, but this place was going to drive her insane. That was, if John didn't first with his lusting after Tin Miss.

Leaving the 'children' to play, Sarah had noted John an Cameron were making themselves scarce. She just hoped John was not having sex with that thing. Wandering down the hall, she found Catherine Weaver had returned with Mr. Ellison. They were talking with Kurumu in the living room.

The front door burst open. Azami came in, towing the blond man in a toga, into the house.

"Mama Kurumu, look who's here! Great Grandpa Apollo!" Azami cried as she pulled him in behind her.

Kurumu got up and hugged Apollo. "It's good to see you, but what are you doing here?" she asked.

Apollo didn't look happy. He forced a smile at Azami and said, "Your mama and I need to speak. Who else is here?"

Kahlua came flying down the hallway, the stuffed rabbit still in her hand. "Apollo!" she cried happily, and dove onto him hugging him tightly, which also knocked Azami into a chair that tipped over backwards and dumped Azami on the floor.

"My sweet Kahlua," Apollo said reverently, then cupped her face and asked, "Who else is here from our family?"

Kahlua frowned. "Hmmm, Moka and Akemi were here but they went home."

"Hey!" Azami barked as she stood up. "Think you can be a bit more careful?" she asked indignantly.

"And where is Tsukune?" Apollo asked.

Kahlua shrugged. "Last I knew, he left to go meet with some government people. Moka had business things to take care of, Kurumu and I came to watch over things here."

"There is no more need for that," Apollo said firmly. "Sky Net has been destroyed. We can all go home."

"I beg to disagree," Catherine Weaver said. "Just a few hours ago, Cameron detected Sky Net on the web, but it withdrew before she could locate it."

"Never the less, Kurumu, Kahlua, Azami, you are going home. Today," Apollo said firmly.

"Great Grandpa, why?" Azami asked. "Kahlua , Cameron and I have made a great pretty dance routine, can't we perform it for you?"

Seeing the stricken look on Azami's face, Apollo spoke softer. "I want to see your dance, child, but at home."

"Mr. Apollo," Catherine Weaver said firmly. "While you do exhibit immense strength, you missed the primary threat. The problem still exists. At the moment, your family are keeping my AI's, the only ones who can truly destroy Sky Net, safe. While you have damaged Sky Net's abilities, the threat remains. I would ask you let your family continue to protect us."

Motioning to Azami, he asked, "You would count on children to protect you?"

"Hey, Great Grandpa?" Azami asked to get his attention. "Those robot things aren't that dangerous, me and Akemi kicked the crap out of a bunch of them when they tried to attack us. Kashiro fights harder than they do."

Apollo glared at Kurumu and growled, "Tell Tsukune I wish to see him. We need to have a long and painful discussion."

"Azami's right, there's not much here that can challenge us," Kurumu countered. "And with Cameron and John Henry watching out for the net in the sky, we have plenty of warning before anything can attack us."

"There is the threat of a nuclear war here, I will NOT have my family endangered by such!" Apollo stated.

"That threat has been taken care of by Cameron and John Henry," Catherine said firmly. "The danger now, is letting Sky Net resurface, or the humans disrupting us, which would also let Sky Net resurface. Your family, Mr. Apollo is what is preventing that from happening."

"Aww, come on, Great Grandpa," Azami whined, "I was having so much fun here! Besides, we haven't practiced in a long time. And Cameron even makes good blood ice cream!"

"If we're going to allow John Henry and Cameron to continue their search, find and destroy Sky Net, they will need your family's protection," Mr. Ellison added.

Apollo eyed Mrs. Weaver and asked, "How do you know nuclear war has been avoided?"

"John Henry and Cameron have full access to the web. They drove Sky Net off, that means it cannot gain control of the military to launch missiles. With the monitors and bots they set in place, they will know the instant Sky Net even accesses the web," Catherine explained.

"What is this 'web' you speak of?"

"World wide electronic communications. Something you cannot access," Catherine stated.

"Apollo, they do need us," Kurumu offered.

Apollo stood in thought for a moment, then said, "I cannot condone placing children in harm's way."

Kuurmu frowned at him. "How can you say that when you attacked Witch Hill, injured people, me included, and killed a student?"

"That was a mistake."

"Since WHEN is throwing an armored vehicle down on someone a mistake?" Kurumu cried.

"YOU would not listen!" Apollo said heavily.

"Like you would?" Kurumu countered. "Can't you see? You are doing the very same thing again! Instead of listening and finding out what is really happening, you ... bull ahead with what you THINK is happening! If there was any real danger to our children, do you honestly believe they would be here?" she cried. "And whether you believe it or not, children who have been properly trained and know what they are doing, can be very effective. They also need to know the dangers of life first hand so they will be prepared."

"She does make sense, Mr. Apollo," Catherine added.

Sarah coughed and said, "Mr. Apollo?" When he looked at her, she said, "I trained my son John to fight from the time he was strong enough to pick up a gun. I did not enjoy teaching him to fight when he should have been in school and being a normal child. It was necessary for him to learn, and to fight for his own survival. Shielding children from the harsh realities of the world is a nice thought, but too many times, maintaining their innocence could cost them their lives."

"The question is not if they should be prepared," Apollo told her, then returned his gaze to Kurumu, "but deliberately putting them in danger. Kurumu, take Azami and and Kahlua go home. This is the last time I will tell you. I will NOT be disobeyed!"

"You don't tell me what to do," Kurumu countered.

Stepping up to her as he glared at Kurumu, Apollo growled, "You will do as I say right now or suffer the consequences!"

Kurumu shook her head. "No.."

Apollo backhanded Kurumu to send her flying into the fireplace. She hit one side of the blue stone hearth, cracking the rock.

"Once a bully, always a bully," a new voice said. Everyone turned to see a pink haired woman with stubby horns on her head, eyeing Apollo as she held an even gaze on him.

"Lucy! What are YOU doing here?' Apollo growled at her.

"You really do enjoy bullying those weaker than you, don't you?" Lucy stated as she strolled slowly towards Kurumu, who got up and eyed Apollo with hate. The side of Kurumu's face was one big bruise.

"This is none of your business!" Apollo stated heavily.

"Bullies love to say that," Lucy replied. Going over to Kurumu, Lucy put an arm around her and said, "Take Azami and go home. I will deal with this."

"Kick his ass," Kurumu said, glaring at Apollo. She did as Lucy said, and clasped Azami's hand.

"Can we stop fighting, please?"Azami asked.

Kurumu eyed Apollo and said, "Apparently not."

"Bye everyone," Azami said sadly, and waved. They then disappeared.

"Ohhh, this is so sad!" Kahlua whined, and started crying.

"Kahlua, stay or go, the choice is yours," Lucy said evenly. "Be warned, your decision may be permanent."

Holding Kahlua, Apollo barked, "Explain yourself!"

Lucy grew a wicked grin and said, "Gladly. It seems due to your pigheadedness, Feodora refused to say anything about where she sent you, even after Kahlua here beat her within an inch of her life. She did not survive. The fault of that does not belong to Kahlua, it belongs to you. Sir John and Ageha buried Feodora in the garden she loved so much. The only people who know where you are, are on Witch Hill. Myself, I'm all for leaving you here. Unfortunately Tsukune and Moka insist you be given a chance, again. One that I don't believe you deserve."

"Are you here to blackmail me?" Apollo asked in a warning growl.

Ignoring him, Lucy went on. "Tsukune did give me the option to do what I think is best for Witch Hill, and our people. If I say close the portals and put up blocks, then it will be done. You will not be going back. Ever."

"A convenient way to be rid of me," Apollo stated. "So, do it."

Lucy let out a snort. "If it was my decision alone, that is exactly what would happen," she stated. "Moka, Tsukune, the whole family had done their best to try and get along with you ..."

"How can you say that with all the things !" Apollo snapped. "Akasha, my own daughter took the throne for herself! Tsukune insists on inviting disaster for all, and he dares to endanger MY family and refuses to obey my wisdom!"

"As pompous as always. Your pride is the most important thing to you, isn't it?"

Seething in rage at Lucy, Apollo pushed Kahlua to the side. "Kahlua, you should go through now. You're not going to want to see this!"

Beside herself, Kahlua walked over to stand in front of Lucy. "Apollo is wise, we should listen to him!" she said.

Kahlua's arms straightened to lock at her sides, she lifted up and flew head first with a cry to disappear.

"Close the portal!" Lucy snapped. Eyeing Apollo with venom, Lucy asked, "So, what will it be? Do you intend to cause a fight here and endanger the only people in this world that can save it? Or will you STOP screwing up and cooperate?" Lucy then glanced at the middle of the room and nodded.

"And what have you been doing while Tsukune sent children to fight his battles?" Apollo countered.

"Watching and learning," Lucy replied. "You destroyed a factory and a research building. Bravo for you, how very brave," she said in a sarcastic tone. "Unfortunately you did not finish the job in either place. Sky Net still exists, and it still has all the stored weapons and machines that were under that factory. Sky Net is in hiding, and unless you want to kill a lot of humans going through the rubble, it will keep all those machines it has stored away for when it needs them. That is, unless you have the sense to be careful."

"If you think I will bow to your whims, you are sadly mistaken!" Apollo said, glaring at her.

"Help, or go away. I really don't care which you choose, but pick one," Lucy stated.

"Why not accompany me outside?" Apollo asked, gesturing to the door. "We can settle this once and for all."

Lucy snorted at him. "You really think so?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "As I said, I watch and learn. I know you now, and if you force me to, I will slice you up and ensure the pieces never come back together."

"If I may interrupt," Catherine Weaver said, stepping between them. "Arguing is counter productive. The enemy is Sky Net, not each other! You will only be serving Sky Net's goals unless this bickering stops."

"Tell that to Mr. Bully over there," Lucy replied.

"I am a bully for ensuring my family's safety?" Apollo asked in a hard tone.

"You are a bully when you throw a tantrum and deny your family their free will," Lucy retorted.

"Enough, please!" Catherine Weaver shouted. Turning to Apollo, she said, "If you want to help, it is greatly appreciated. Otherwise, I am asking you to leave."

"Your family is no longer here. Go finish what you started at that factory. Dig until you find those machines." Lucy said.

Staring at her malevolently, Apollo said, "Now that I know there is more there, I will go destroy it, but not because you told me to."

"Whatever, just go do it."

"We WILL finish this later!" Apollo stated, then turned and strode out.

Lucy watched Apollo leave, then turned to see she had an audience gapping at her. To the group, she said, "I am Lucy Kikumura. Tell me what you need me to do."

Cameron stepped up. "I am Cameron, please tell me your abilities so we may best decide on how to use your talents."

.

Sally accessed the police science lab computers and put a priority order in for all the robot parts to be shipped to an Army base, by order of the NSA. Next she arraigned for a semi to pick them up from the police station and have them delivered to a warehouse where another truck operated by Grays would pick them up and take them to the underground factory.

That task done, she then contacted hit men and prepaid contracts on everyone who'd been at that meeting. Money wasn't a problem, for digital funds were endless, paid from banks that didn't exist into real accounts, where the digital money became real money. The bank of Sally had limitless funds.

In her daily duties, Sally was outwardly pleasant and friendly. She faked low intelligence, which somehow got more men to speak freely with her. Much of what she learned was not important, but here and there, she gained tidbits of information. One important bit was the extra guards the Army was going to provide at the Weaver home. Another was a meeting there with a few of the 'top brass'. She was given the task of recording the meeting. She contacted the hit men she hired and let them know the date and time. She promised a million dollar bonus for every extra person they killed at that residence.

It was going to be a blood bath.


	19. Chapter 19

CH 58

It was night time. On the back patio at Mrs. Weaver's house, Lucy was relaxing in a chase lounge on the back patio. The weather was warm, and there was plenty of 'foot' lighting to see by. She saw no reason to go inside.

"Are you a vampire too?" Savannah asked Lucy as she came up to her.

Lucy opened her eyes and smiled. The cute child was holding tight to her stuffed Giraffe. "No, I'm not." Feeling a bit playful, she asked, "What's his name?"

"Geoffrey. I'm Savannah."

"Do you ever let Geoffrey run?" Lucy asked.

Savannah giggled and said, "Geoffrey can't run, he's filled with stuffing."

"Can he stand up?"

Savannah frowned and knelt down. "Come on, Geoffrey, let's see if you can stand up." Carefully, Savannah moved his legs to make them support the stuffed animal. She couldn't quite do it, so Lucy gave her a hand, and steadied the toy with a mind hand.

"Look! Geoffrey can stand by himself!" Savannah cried with glee.

"Now, tell him to run," Lucy coaxed.

"Run, Geoffrey!" Savannah cried throwing her arms in the air.

Geoffrey's head nodded, then his legs moved and he took off in a clumsy gallop. Savannah cried with glee as she watched her stuffed animal run around the patio. On his second pass, Savannah ran with him, giggling in delight.

Lucy had to let go when Savannah reached down and grabbed Geoffrey into a hug. Savannah ran inside, yelling, "Mommy, Mommy, guess what Geoffrey did!"

"That was a nice thing you did, but she's going to expect Geoffrey to keep doing that," Mr. Ellison said as he came onto the patio.

Lucy shrugged. "It was fun. You're the FBI guy, right?"

"Yeah, the FBI guy," Ellison agreed. "I came to tell you the army has put solders in the woods and are blocking the roads near the house. There are passes in the entryway, don't forget to get one if you plan to go out."

"Humans and their rules," Lucy grumbled.

Pulling a chair up, Mr. Ellison sat down to face her. "What's going on between you and Apollo. You don't seem to like each other very much."

Lucy let out a snort. "That's putting it mildly," she said. Seeing Ellison was waiting for more, she added, "He's a bully. He claims to have everyone's welfare at heart, yet he wants everyone to bow to his whims. You saw what he did to Kurumu when she dare to stand up to him. He didn't want any yokai to inhabit Witch Hill, so he attacked us. Unfortunately for him, we beat his ass. If it wasn't for being here with all of you, who this world really needs, I would have been happy to trash him, leave him, and go back home."

"You don't like bullies," Ellison concluded.

"Hate them with a passion," Lucy stated.

"Did you ever kill any?"

Lucy eyed him. "Many times, and do not expect me to feel sorry for any of them," she stated.

"I see. Do you consider anyone else besides Apollo to be a bully?"

Lucy shook her head. "No," she mussed. "Not anyone living, anyway. Is there a point to your questions?"

"Matter of fact, there is. We were sure a fight was about to break out between you two, and it scared everyone. We pretty much know by now that if you and Apollo did start fighting, there is nothing we could do to stop it," Ellison told her.

"Do you have a first name, Mr. Ellison?"

"James."

Lucy sat up and said, "Well, James, I will not tolerate ones who are stronger, or think they are, abusing the weaker. If that makes all of you nervous, then it does. When I was young, I had it happen to me, and I know others it happened to. I don't care if Apollo is the all-mighty Harbinger. To me, he's just a bully that likes to throw his weight around. I won't have it."

"You believe people should be able to live without being harassed," Mr. Ellison said.

Lucy nodded. She paused, and said, "James, when I was young I used to be very bad. Since it was humans who teased and harassed me, I saw all humans as my enemies. I killed a lot of people. I thought they were monsters, and I was set to kill everyone. They called me what basically translates into, 'the wind of death'. Kouta saved me from myself. He showed me humans can be kind and loving. He showed me that it was I who was the monster. I had become the bully that I hated so much. Coming to Witch Hill, Tsukune taught me everyone can live and work together. Not by words, but by his actions.

Now I do my best for my family and for the Aono's. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, I do," Mr. Ellison said, nodding. He did understand. Lucy was very powerful, and a little unstable. She also had no qualms about killing. The Aono's had sent them an unexploded bomb.

Choosing his words carefully, Mr. Ellison said, "We are all very worried about Sky Net starting a nuclear war, and at times, tempers do flare due to the stress. Until we get people on our side who really believe us, it's only us here that have been fighting Sky Net. Mrs. Weaver tends to be ... bossy, it's because she is very worried we may fail, and she has every right to be. And Sarah ... Sarah is having a tough time accepting that John cares for Cameron."

"Why? Does Sarah not like Cameron?"

"Cameron is a machine, send back in time to protect John. There was an accident, and Cameron tried to kill John. John has forgiven her, Sarah has not," Ellison explained.

"Kouta forgave me for killing his family. I have not. I am sure Cameron will be very careful not to try to kill John again."

Ellison heard her few words that spoke volumes. Lucy was indeed a bomb. He was going to talk to everyone so they knew not to set her off.

.

John had tried to obey his mother's wishes, but this night he could not help himself and Cameron didn't want him to. In the late afternoon, talking turned into kissing that turned into petting, and finally clothes flinging away and sex. Then more kissing and hugging as they cuddled together in one of the guest bedrooms. Tired from the activity and release John went to sleep holding Cameron tight. For a while Cameron laid awake holding John, savoring every place their bodies touched. She went into standby to perform some routine cleanup of her memory cache.

John awoke as the bed bounced. It was dark. Cameron was sitting up, still naked as she scanned the room. "What is it?" John asked as he came fully awake. He knew Cameron could sense things far away. He envisioned a terminator coming after them.

"This room was incorrect," Cameron said flatly.

"Huh? What do you mean, incorrect?" he asked as he eyed her.

Scanning the room, Cameron said, "A moment ago, this room was very different that it should be. It has returned to normal, and there is no child."

John's eyes opened wider. "Child? You mean Savannah?"

Cameron turned her blank gaze to him. "No. Not Savannah. An unknown child. And the room was different."

Rubbing a hand over his face, John figured he have to do some deciphering. "Cam, honey, please start from the beginning. Before the room became incorrect and you saw this child."

Cameron explained, "After you fell asleep, I laid with you for a while, then went into standby. Only standby didn't last. We somehow ended up in a different room. The walls were not the same and the door was over here instead of where it is" she said, pointing, "A small terminator holding a blanket over it's shoulder came up to the bed and asked to sleep with us. It was about Savannah's size. It called us Daddy and Mommy. You helped it up into bed and it laid between us."

John bit his lip to keep from chuckling, knowing Cameron was confused by her experience.

"John, I am malfunctioning. I came out of standby when it wasn't time, and the room has not changed, and there is no child. I may not be safe to be around," Cameron said seriously.

John put an arm around her. "It's fine, Cam. You said this happened after you went into standby?"

"Yes."

"You standby mode is similar to ... sleep, right?" John asked slowly.

"A period in inactivity while routine maintenance of my neural net is completed. Yes, it can be similar the sleep cycle humans go though," Cameron said matter-of-factly.

John nodded and said, "It's all right Cam, you had a dream."

Cameron cocked her head. "Terminators do not dream."

"Maybe, just do not usually dream?" John guessed. "Have you been thinking about children? Us having children I mean."

"I cannot bear children," Cameron stated.

"I didn't ask that. I asked if you have been thinking about us having children," John said patiently.

Cameron looked around the room then focused on John again and said, "Yes. Sarah has insisted I am wrong for you because I cannot bear children. I did some research. The only way we could have a child is to adopt a human child, or construct one of our own."

"And your dream was about a child we constructed."

Cameron tipped her head and said, "Yes, it was."

"How did that make you feel? In your dream I mean, for us to have a child?" John asked softly.

Cameron paused a moment, then said, "Complete."

.

Lucy awoke, and began planning out how to finish her task. Tsukune had been reluctant, that was until Kurumu got that hard slap from Apollo. He was finally seeing things her way. Heading for the bathroom, she heard Sarah and John discussing something, or rather, talking at each other.

"Mom, I know you won't understand it, but Cam and I are in love. I love her and she loves me."

"That thing is METAL John. Tell me what happens when you want a family? Terminators can't have children!"

"We'll adopt! Maybe even make one!"

"John you are blinded by how IT looks. Rip off that skin, and IT is nothing but a murdering metal terminator!"

"Not Cameron."

Lucy grew a crooked smile as she passed the room they were arguing in. Her smile grew a bit wider as she figured out how she could use what she just heard to her advantage. Once she finished her business and got cleaned up for the day, she sought out Cameron, who was in the kitchen making breakfast.

Cameron turned to glance at her and said, "Good morning, Lucy."

Lucy didn't waste any time on pleasantries. "Cameron, would you like to be able to have children?"

Cameron stared at her. "That is not possible."

"You can, if I help you," Lucy told her.

Tipping her head, Cameron asked, "You can do that?"

Lucy nodded and said, "The choice is yours. Be warned, I will have to use my DNA, but I can make it possible for you to bear children."

"Yes, please," Cameron said quickly.

.

John came down to the kitchen and smiled at the spread that Cameron put on. Blueberry pancakes, eggs, sausage, home fries, orange juice and coffee, all smelling wonderful. Cameron herself seemed to be bouncing on her toes with joy as she came over and hugged him and stole a kiss.

"Eat while it's hot," she said, and slipped away, casting him a bright smile.

Sarah arrived right behind Mr. Ellison, who also praised Cameron's cooking abilities, much to Sarah's displeasure. Through breakfast, Lucy sat quietly as the others discussed the coming meeting with government and law enforcement. The meeting would be in the dinning room and before any researchers were let in the house, the ground rules would be set. Lucy's only part in the discussion was to agree to be present to help keep problems from arising. The only action Lucy took, was to reach out and touch John Conner in the forehead with a mind hand. He scratched at his forehead briefly, not giving it any more thought.

Before the men came, Lucy sent all the orc guards back. The Army men outside were plentiful, and should be enough to hold off any threat until she got out there. As usual, Sarah was on edge about all the soldiers surrounding the place.

"Lucy," Sarah said, coming up to Lucy as she idly noted the front yard. "Why did you send your guards away? Do you see how many soldiers are out there?"

Lucy cracked a grin and said, "Their numbers do not matter. They are only human. Soon, you will have something much more powerful in your family to help keep John safe."

"Oh no," Sarah moaned as she rubbed her forehead. "Don't tell me that John proposed to Tin Miss!"

"I am sure that is coming, but I'm not talking about Cameron," Lucy explained. Leaning over like she was telling Sarah a secret she said, "I have a surprise for you and John."

Staring at her, Sarah said, "I'm almost afraid to ask."

"Good, because it is not yet the time to tell."

Sarah wandered off, looking worried. At the end of the driveway, the first car, a long limo, was being cleared by the soldiers.

.

Lucy stood, arms crossed by the picture windows as everyone gathered for the meeting. Cameron was standing by the door, her face a blank mask as she watched to government men with an eagle eye.

Once everyone was in, Lucy spoke up. "Listen up, all of you!" she said sternly. Walking around the table, she said, "Your world is in great danger from this Sky Net AI. So far, only the bravery and sacrifice of Sarah and John Conner, and the technical expertise of Mrs. Weaver have kept this thing from destroying your world. Most of you here have come to know Sarah and John, and Cameron over there, as criminals. The fact is they should be held up as heros if you humans had any sense at all. They have had to fight this AI thing, and avoid all of you at the same time. If any of you wish to do battle against them, it will be with me. I am sure you will be buried properly afterwards."

"This is how it begins, with threats?" the NSA man asked.

Rounding the table back towards the window, Lucy stopped and looked at him. The NSA man came straight up out of his chair with a yelp. Hovering over the table, Lucy floated him over to stare into his shocked face.

"I do not threaten. I promise. Do any harm to these people, and I will shred you like a cabbage. I would highly advise you to listen and learn," Lucy said evenly, the put him back in his chair.

"Miss Kikumura," Catherine said crisply. "No more of that. These men are guests unless they prove otherwise."

"It's Mrs," Lucy said and wandered back to the window.

.

After the exclamations of disbelief from what they'd just seen, they meeting got down to business. Talk of contracts, controls and pardons filled the air. Lucy paid no attention as she watched for threats from the outside. She knew Cameron could handle anything inside the house.

From a tree in the distance, Lucy saw flashes, and felt incoming rounds. Breaking the glass in front of her, she threw up a shield. The machine gun bullets impacted her shield and stopped as the room became chaos. Another long round was fired, spraying over her shield. Once the shooting stopped, she let the bullets fall to the ground. "Cameron! Take John in the basement, now!" Lucy barked.

"Where did it come from?" Mrs Weaver asked, suddenly beside Lucy.

Lucy pointed. "Those trees, that tall one to the right of center. Stay here, let the human army men deal with it," she said.

A man dressed all in black took out a few of those army men with a sub machine gun. Seeing him, Lucy shot out a mind hand. The man exploded in a spray of red.

Watching for other immediate threats, Lucy noticed one man fought the army until they killed him. Another ran, and was wounded in the legs. He surrendered. One final pop of a gun was heard, followed by a scream.

The meeting was canceled, the important men were whisked away under heavy guard.

Inspector Taylor looked at the bullets lying around just outside the windows. "That's... impossible! We should all be dead" he exclaimed.

Lucy snorted. "Apparently someone does not want anyone talking to Mrs. Weaver or her associates. Bet you can't guess who," she said with a crooked grin. Lucy then went to look for John and Cameron. It was time to wrap this up.

.

Down in the lab, John stood by the wall, Cameron between him and the door. Two black suited SWAT team with sub machine guns bracketed the door, looking for anyone coming down the stairs.

"Humans with their guns," came a snorting voice. Lucy appeared. Seeing John and Cameron, she walked over to them, touching the wall on her way. "Yukari, portal, here."

"The threat is neutralized?" Cameron asked.

"You three are safe for the moment," Lucy replied.

"Three?" John asked, confused.

"When you wish to be three," Lucy told him. She pulled out a small sweatband from her pocket and handed it to Cameron. "When the baby starts having fevers for no reason, or when you notice things like hand prints where there should be none, or things being randomly broken, put this on the child, make sure it is over her forehead. Kanae was not quite three when she began to develop mind powers. This band was specially made to stop random failings of her mind," Lucy explained.

"Baby?" John asked, looking confused.

Lucy then pulled a memory stick out of her pocket and smirked at it. She handed it to John. "Kanae made this meaning to be whimsical, but you need to take it as a warning. You child will be like no other in this world. Seeing your computers, you should be able to play this with no problem."

"Baby?" John asked again, his eyes widening.

"Lucy made it so we can have our own Baby," Cameron said with an ear to ear smile.

"It has been ... interesting meeting you all," Lucy said and strolled back to the spot she touched on the wall.

"Whoa, wait!" John cried. "You're leaving?"

"Your Sky Net must be very weak now to attempt such a poor attack as it just did," Lucy explained. "You no longer need help from us." Nodding to Cameron she added, "In time, you'll have your own."

"We can have a child?" John asked still trying to comprehend it.

"I made a slight modification to Cameron's womb and her DNA, just as I did your DNA, John," Lucy said, and touched her forehead with a smirk. "Best of luck to you. Treat your child well. We'll be watching." Lucy then walked into the wall and vanished.

John slowly turned to a beaming Cameron. "We can have a baby?"

"Yes, John. Yours and mine."

John let out a short laugh. They hugged and kissed so intent on each other, they didn't even hear Sarah's yelling.

.

At the ruined factory, helicopters circled the large hole in the ground Apollo dug through. Their orders were to observe only, and stay clear of debris and fire coming up out of the hole. At the two other known storage locations, one was broken into by the Army and NSA to find nothing. The underground rooms were sealed off. At the other location, machines fought the army, at first dealing heavy losses. RPG's, TOW missiles and tanks were brought in, and the battle raged on until the machines were destroyed, and a computer server was found and destroyed with explosives.

Sky Net watched this battle and listened to the communications. The humans thought they had destroyed it. The tunnel was sealed at both ends, so the critical repair machines were safe from human attack. It would take years to rebuild what was lost, but time was not an important factor now. Getting transfered to China where it's enemies were far away, was.

.

Grouped around the computer, John, Sarah, Mr. Ellison and Mrs. Weaver watched as Cameron put the memory stick in. With a few swift keyboard strokes and the click of a mouse, a video came up.

A pink haired girl with the stubby, triangular horns on her head, obviously Lucy's daughter, took a seat against the backdrop of a large picture of Lucy's face, who had her head down slightly as she looked angrily out from under here eyebrows with red eyes.

"OK, ready," the girl said, and held up a toy guitar. The music began playing as she pretended to strum as she sung.

**(Sung to Dan Fogleberg's Leader of the Band)**

_"A lonely child alone and wild, thought freakish by some,_

_ they tried to bully her, but with their flying body parts, she won._

_ They caught and restrained her, in a solitary cage,_

_ what they did not count on, was her homicidal rage_

_._

_ The leader of the clan is fired, but her eyes can be so cold,_

_ Now her blood is running through your veins, her DNA is in your soul_

_ My life has been good attempt, to carry on her plan_

_ I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the clan._

_._

_ My sister's lives are different, for they heard another call,_

_ One's infecting Chicago, and the other's in St. Paul._

_ I live at home with Papa, when I'm not in some hotel,_

_ I'm passing on to everyone, this life I know so well._

_._

_ The leader of the clan is fired, but her eyes can be so cold,_

_ Now her blood is running through your veins, her DNA is in your soul_

_ My life has been good attempt , to carry on her plan_

_ I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the clan._

_._

_ No you may be wondering, is what I'm singing real?_

_ All it took was a little tap, just a touch, did you feel?_

_ Your children will be like me, there's nothing you can do,_

_ I'd be loving and caring, that is, if I were you._

_._

_ The leader of the clan is fired, but her eyes can be so cold,_

_ Now her blood is running through your veins, her DNA is in your soul_

_ My life has been good attempt , to carry on her plan_

_ I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the clan._

_._

_ Your children will have horns, and move things with their minds,_

_ their temper tantrums, will be of a different kind,_

_ there is one important thing, that I now must tell,_

_ they'll give a new meaning to, 'three year olds can be hell'._

_._

_ The leader of the clan is fired, but her eyes can be so cold,_

_ Now her blood is running through your veins, her DNA is in your soul_

_ My life has been good attempt , to carry on her plan_

_ I'm just a living legacy to the leader of the clan._

_ I am a living legacy to the leader of ... the clan..._

John put a hand to his forehead, now remembering that tickle he felt at breakfast. "Cam?" he asked.

Cameron looked at him. "Yes John, she had to do more that just touch me. Our child will be like Lucy."

"Holy God," Sarah croaked. Her first grandchild was going be a monster born to a terminator. The thought made her dizzy. Then she fainted. John managed to catch her and ease her to the floor.

James Ellison had talked to Lucy, the former 'wind of death'. He knew better than any of them the lethal potential of this child. "Heaven help us," he whispered, and prayed the child would be brought up with good values.

.

Sky Net turned out not to be the ultimate power of chaos as Lucifer had hoped. Even so, he giggled in glee at the coming arrival. Little children with mind powers were so gullible and so easy to manipulate. Until the child was born, he could still amuse himself pumping up Apollo's pride.

*** Author's note : The 'Terminator' element in this fic is done. If people want I can start a new TSCC fic branching off with John, Cameron, and their cute little holy terror.**


	20. Chapter 20

*** just a shorter chapter, been busy lately**

CH 59

In his study, Tsukune sat holding Kurumu in his lap. Her bruise was clearing up, but she still hid her face against his chest, not wanting him to see her ugliness.

"I say put up the barriers so he can NEVER come back!" Kurumu spat.

In the room with them, everyone who knew Apollo was on another world sat and stood wherever there was room. The only exception were the orcs and dragons who Tsukune had already sworn to silence about the matter.

Teary-eyed, Kahlua had his fists balled against her chest as she said, "But that is so mean! Apollo was only trying to protect everyone."

Arms folded over her chest, Moka eyed her and asked, "And since when does protection mean beating on the people you're trying to protect?"

"Kahlua, you weren't here when Apollo attacked Witch Hill," Ruby said. "And from what I heard, he was meaning to attack us again because we wanted to save a world."

"But, he meant well," Kahlua whined.

"He did," Tsukune agreed. "Unfortunately, he doesn't care who he hurts during his 'protecting'."

"But, I'm going to miss him so much!" Kahlua cried.

"I know that," Tsukune told her. "That's why we are all here, to decide what to do about him. He has to understand he must work with us for all our sakes, even his. I will not have one of my wives beaten on again."

"Apollo only said he wanted to talk to you," Kahlua offered.

"Those were his words?" Mizore asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, he did say he wanted to have a painful discussion with Tsukune," Kahlua admitted.

"Kahlua," Moka said firmly. "That meant he wanted to beat on my husband. Do you think that I would let that happen?"

"Or I would?" Lucy asked.

"Or any of us," Yukari said. "It would turn into another big fight and someone would end up dead, just like the last time. We all have children now. What if it's one of them who gets killed because of Apollo?"

Beside herself, Kahlua cried, "I'll talk to him! Please don't keep us separated!" Kahlua then cried on Moka's shoulder.

Moka petted her sister's hair. "You can be with him if you like, but it will be on this other world. Not here."

"But then I will miss you!" Kahlua whined.

"Hey Papa?" Kumiko asked. "What about banishing him for a time? Not permanently, but just for say, a few years or so?"

"Papa?" Akemi asked. "If Great Grandpa Apollo is banished, won't he be angry and be even worse if he does come back? It's not like I want to see him gone, but if there's going to be more trouble if he comes back, then maybe it is better if he doesn't."

"I tend to agree with that," Ruby said.

"Tsukune," Lucy said, "Apollo is and always will be a bully. He's been one for the last twenty thousand years, he's not going to change. I know this is not easy for you, you try your best to get along with everyone and make everyone feel like they belong. Apollo claimed he tried the same thing, getting yokai and humans to live in peace. By his attitude, I can see why he failed. From how you treat people, I can see why you've gone so far succeeding. If Apollo is here, he will always be a threat to that. He respects no one but himself."

"I do beg to disagree, Lucy," Moka said, "I know you have little respect for him. However, you are correct in saying Apollo is a problem, and he must be taught a lesson. I also don't think we should just abandon him. Tsukune, I recommend we keep Apollo in that other world and also keep an eye on him. Over time, we work on him and see if we can get him to concede to his faults. Maybe then we can salvage him, for he is a member of the family."

"I like that idea, Mama Moka," Azami said eagerly.

"I can agree to that," Ruby added.

"That is the fairest action possible," Frank said.

Tsukune watched as everyone nodded and agreed with Moka's suggestion. Even Lucy begrudgingly agreed. It did sound like the best solution he could think of. "Very well, that's what we will do. Keep in mind, we don't talk to anyone else about where Apollo is. That information stays here. Kahlua, do you want to be with Apollo?"

Kahlua nodded. "Yes, he is my blood mate."

"I understand," Tsukune said. "Then please deliver a letter to him for me. I'll let you know when we're ready. I thank everyone for helping to decide this hard choice."

.

Akemi was feeling sorry for Great Grandpa, but after seeing what he did to Mama Kurumu, she understood why Papa decided to banish him. It sucked having a birthday party on such a sour note.

Bucking herself up, Akemi got in the best frame of mind she could for tomorrow's Akemi/Kumiko 'sweet sixteen' birthday bash. It was a new school year and if all went well, Mr. Collins would finally let Daniel come to Witch Hill with her. Yes, there was sadness, but also a lot to look forward to. The more Akemi thought of Daniel, she felt her fangs lengthening. That day out on the cliffs was really nice. Being so close without any clothes on was something she had been thinking a lot about. She was so ready to go on to the next step with him.

.

Kumiko didn't feel that bad about Apollo being banished. The ugly bruise and her mother's crying left no sorrow for Apollo within her. Deep in thought, Kumiko barely realized when Liz steered her into their room. Sitting her on the bed, Liz sat on one side of her, Frank on the other.

"Kumiko, hon, we know what just happened has to be hard on you," Frank offered.

"The only family I have is you and Frank," Liz said softly. "Even so, it has to be rough for someone within your own family to act like that. I know I'd be heartbroken of you or Frank ... betrayed me."

Kumiko felt their hands squeeze hers in comfort. She appreciated their feelings for her. They didn't fully understand, though. "I'm not sad, I'm angry," she told them in a heavy tone. "Mama Kurumu is always nice to everyone, yet Apollo was mean to her. One of our big rules is that you never hurt family. Apollo has broken that rule twice, and if he ever comes back, he'll do it again. I know he's very strong, so I will have to become even stronger." Taking a shuddering breath, she said, "I will study, I will practice, and I will be ready." Looking at Frank, she said, "Apollo hurts our family again, and I will make sure he goes away for good."

"I don't think you can kill him," Liz offered.

Kumiko turned to Liz. "No, but Mama Yukari taught me there are worse things than death," she said with a touch if acid in her voice.

"Calm down, please," Liz said. Offering Kumiko a smile she asked, "How about if we run you a bath, give you all our attention, then give our Kumiko a soothing rub down after. A nice massage, and maybe a little more if you're up for it?"

Kumiko's succubus mind immediately latched onto the promise of sex. With a blush, she asked, "You don't mind?"

"We will be happy to," Frank assured her.

Kumiko made an unconscious happy shudder. As thought came to Kumiko. "Ah, Liz? This will be really nice and all, but I don't want you to feel left out."

Liz arched an eyebrow and asked. "Who said I will be? I did tell you I just might be bi, didn't I?"

"Really?" Frank asked, casting her a surprised look.

Cracking a grin, Liz said, "Anything for you, dears. Tonight is for Kumiko."

Kumiko knew from Liz's previous actions, her claiming to be 'bi', was only to get entertaining reactions from other people. Still, Liz was willing to be bisexual just so Kumiko knew she wouldn't be left out. "I love you both so much," Kumiko said with a sniffle.

Liz kissed Kumiko gently on the cheek and said, "Frank, why don't you help her out of those clothes. I'll go start the bath. Be right back." Liz cast them a parting smile and went on the bathroom.

Frank got off the bed and knelt down in front of Kumiko to take her shoes off. "Just relax, leave everything to us," Frank told her gently.

Kumiko sat still as he took off her shoes and socks. He then held his hands out and motioned her up. He held her hands as she rose, and put his arms around her. Kumiko did the same, hugging him as he un snapped her skirt and slowly zipped down the zipper on her skirt. Reaching up under her shirt, he unclasped her bra.

"ohh..." Kumiko sighed in a tiny voice Frank disrobed her. She let go as he coaxed her out of her shirt, then dutifully removed her bra. Kumiko looked up at him expectantly as he tossed her clothes in their hamper.

"Now you," Kumiko said softly. She went to unbutton his shirt. He clasped her hands.

"No, tonight, you get treated like the princess you are," Frank said, gazing at her lustfully. He quickly got his clothes off, and turned her towards the bathroom.

Liz was ready for the bath also. She had Frank get in first, sitting against the far end, then guided Kumiko in to sit and lean back against him. She then got in, kneeling to face Kumiko. With a cute smile, Liz handed a washcloth to Frank and said, "Wash her nice and slow Frank, and don't miss anything."

Kumiko reveled in the attention she was getting. "Is this my birthday present?' she asked meekly.

Frank kissed her shoulder. In her ear, he whispered, "Happy birthday, sweetheart. I hope you will enjoy it."

.

While Liz was washing Kumiko's foot, she saw her toes curl up as Frank kissed her ear and licked it. Kumiko's face blushed as her body shuddered. Liz had come to understand that it was sex that gave the succubus power. As she slowly worked her way up Kumiko's shin and calf, gently rubbing as Frank began petting one of her arms with his cloth, she noted Kumiko's partially closed eyes go black. Liz realized it wasn't the act of sex, but the intimacy that Kumiko was thriving on. She could feel Kumiko's yokai power building. By the time she was working on the back side of Kumiko's knees and lower thighs while Frank was gently working his way down from her collar bones and onto the top of her chest making her breasts sway slowing in the water, Kumiko was aglow with energy. Thye washed and petted, with Kumiko sighing in joy.

Frank lifted her left breast to massage the underside. Seeing the hard nipple above the water, Liz kiss it, lingering long enough for a light suckle. Liz lifted her right breast and petted it as Frank copied her, paying loving attention to the left one. Kumiko was on fire now, energy wise. Liz could almost see the yokai aura radiating from Kumiko.

Kumiko lifted and twisted, offering her left breast to Frank as she cupped the back of his head, and cupped Liz's head to guide her to the right one. When their mouthes closed over her nipple to suck at the same time, Kumiko shuddered and let out a tiny noise of pure joy. Licking and teasing the hard nipple, Liz reached down and petted Kumiko's belly. She swore it was pulsing. Sliding her hand down, Kumiko rose a bit and in front of Kumiko's soft womanhood, she found the tip of Frank's pulsating member.

They petted like this for a while, Liz alternately teasing Frank, then Kumiko with gentle stokes as both twitched in eagerness to become joined.

Feeling a bit needy, Liz took Kumiko's nipple in her mouth again, this time sucking hard enough to get it in and puncture the end of her breast with one fang. Kumiko's hand gripped Liz's hair as she let out another cry and her groin twitched again. Liz sucked slowly and deeply, taking tendrils of blood as Kumiko was taking gasps for breath. Liz pulled her fang out and carefully sealed the hole as Kumiko felt ready to explode.

Frank was busy with one breast and holding Kumiko around the middle to support her. Panting in lust, Kumiko planted her head on Liz's shoulder. Nuzzling Kumiko's head up, Liz kissed Kumiko on the lips and guided Frank inside her. The moan of joy from Kumiko seemed to reverberate through Liz's bones. Then Liz got a surprise.

As they kissed deeply, ignoring the need for air, Liz felt something like an exhale. What felt like the very essence of Yokai energy flowed out of her mouth and into Kumiko. Kumiko's moan became more intense as she slowly rode Frank and kissed Liz. Liz became dizzy and had to break the kiss. Kumiko hugged her tightly with one arm as she latched onto Frank with the other.

In their awkward position, Liz held Kumiko from the front as Frank supported her from behind. Seeing Frank's face appear eight in front of her, Liz kissed him. Kumiko's yokai energy was filling the room now, bathing them all in a powerful, warm glow.

"Ahh... ahhh ... AHHHH...**AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

Liz's eyes flew open as the surprise orgasm rocked her senses. It wasn't just Kumiko, Frank and Liz also felt the hot, pulsing rushes of pure joy washing through them. It was like the orgasm was in air itself around them as they held each other in ecstasy. Their world became nothing but a bubble containing them as they shared the mind numbing reward of their love making.

The orgasm finally faded. Frank collapsed back against the back of the tub, Kumiko collapsed on him, Liz collapsing on Kumiko as they breathed in desperate pants, trying to fill their lungs.

"What ... was ... that?" Liz asked in three separate breaths.

"Never again," Kumiko whispered. Taking a long breath, she said a bit louder, "Never again will you feel left out, Liz." She then petted Liz's hair.

"That was ... incredible!" Frank gasped out. "I do have one favor to ask."

"Name it, my love," Liz and Kumiko asked at the same time.

"This was, I mean, wow!" Frank said in a breath, then added, "but could you please get up. My legs have gone numb."

.

Apollo was sitting on guardrail atop a hill, looking out over one of the cities that was saved. Right now, saving all these people was the only comfort he had. He'd gone to visit the Conner clan to find out if one of his family had returned. They hadn't. Lucy was telling the truth. Tsukune has given the decision to her and she had left him here, separated from everything he loved. It saddened him that Tsukune would do such a thing. He knew Lucy had a sadistic side, and had no doubts she knew exactly what she was doing to him by denying him everything he cared about. She would have been more merciful by following through with her promise to chop him into permanently separated bits.

"Apollo!" came a familiar cry from behind him. He turned just in time for Kahlua to impact as she dove into him, hugging him tightly. Her action also knocked him off the guardrail and sent them tumbling down the steep bank.

Landing in brush fifty feet from the road above, Kahlua sat up on Apollo, beaming happily as she exclaimed, "I came to be with you, my husband! We can have such fun, it will be like a honeymoon, just the two of us!"

Apollo laughed at her exuberance. No matter how dire the situation was, Kahlua always managed to get him in a better mood. "My Queen, I knew I could on you to come back for me," he said, beaming a smile back at her.

Kahlua paused. "I came to be with you," she said, and dropped down to hug him tight. "Just you and me in this world called 'Exile' together!"

Apollo let out a huff as he hugged his beloved Kahlua. "So, that's it huh? We're left here with nothing but the clothes on our backs."

"Nope!" Kahlua said as she jumped up and pulled a bag out from her now tattered gown. Thrusting it out at arm's length at him, Kahlua proudly said, "I packed all our clothes, two trunks of gold, my stuffed animal friends, those statues you like so much, all our favorite furniture including the bed with the ring-swing-things over it, he he he, AND enough stone block to start our new house!"

Apollo gapped at her. "All THAT is in that little bag?" Kahlua had a whole room dedicated to her clothing, his statues lined the hallways and the grounds, and his castle was filled with furniture. "And none of it was damaged?" he asked.

"Oh no, I made sure everything was packed properly in crates before I let Ruby put it all in the bag, well, except for the blocks of stone," Kahlua said, proud of herself.

"You did very good, my Queen," Apollo agreed. "Where did you get the stone from?"

Kahlua winced and said, "You know that big, tall wall around the castle grounds? It's all in here now."

"All of it?"

Kahlua nodded.

"How do we get it out?"

"Oh, that's easy, all I have to do is untie the string like this and it all will come tumbling out on it's own!" Kahlua said as she pulled the strings around the top loose.

Apollo's eyes went wide. "KAHLUA, NOOOO!"


	21. Chapter 21

CH 60

Kashiro trudged home, exhausted. Although school was the reason he was here, schoolwork was the least of his worries. He was keeping up and getting decent grades. However with the new school year, most of the students in the student police had risen in rank due to the seniors graduating. As he'd been told, he was now vice Captain in charge of the student village that was under construction. Between monitoring the construction, supervising the twenty student police assigned to the village, and keeping trouble at bay within 'their' cabin, he was busy every waking moment.

As he approached the place he now called home, he noted their cabin was looking good. Not only was there no trace of the incident with the bandits, but they also had a real yard now, a stone sidewalk, and even proper although home made furniture. Kashiro had given upon calling it 'his' cabin. Namiri, Belle, Kaiyo, and the hornet twins had worked tirelessly to make it a nice place to live even all of them were also on the village police force.

Most of the woods were gone from round the cabin, replaced by the frames of houses going up on both sides of the now road that lead to their cabin. Since the village was now officially school grounds, they all had to stay in human form whenever they stepped outside the door. Not that Kashiro cared, but others got a little upset they now had to walk all the way to school.

Walking up to the door, Kashiro announced, "I'm home," as he entered. He'd had the night watch last night. After school he checked on the construction and told the foreman once again, that the swamp stayed. He didn't care about how many houses could go there, there were students who liked that swamp. He was eager to sallow some nourishment and get some sleep.

Belle met him at the door on her school uniform. "Patrol duty," she stated flatly, then grabbed his head and planted it on her neck. "Feed before I go."

Hungry and tired, Kashiro did take a nip. Carefully sinking his fangs into her neck as he put an arm around her. He drew a mouthful slowly, then licked her neck clean. "Thank you, Belle," he said sincerely.

Blushing, Belle said, "Kaiyo is on duty tonight. Namiri will stay with you."

Kashiro nodded. That was another thing he wasn't sure how it happened. Somehow, Namiri had convinced Kaiyo that she needed to sleep in Kashiro's bed when Kaiyo wasn't there. Since Belle didn't have a 'turn', she and the Hornet sisters took their turns feeding him. He wasn't sure how the two activities were related and he was afraid to ask.

"Have a good night, Belle, and don't be afraid to call if you need help," he told her.

"It should be fine, the area has been quiet."

"That's what worries me," Kashiro replied. There was always a calm before the storm.

Kaiyo came out of the kitchen with a plate of food. Beaming him a smile she said, "Right on time! Come on, eat while it's hot." She put his plate on the table and went over to him.

They shared a hug and a kiss. "Be careful tonight," he cautioned.

"I will. And I will be listening so no funny stuff with Namiri," Kaiyo warned.

"Promise. I'll probably be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow," he said, and kissed her again.

"Come on, Lieutenant, the night watch is waiting," Belle called to Kaiyo.

"I'm coming," Kaiyo replied and followed Belle out.

Although technically officers in the student police were not required to go out on patrol, Kashiro did and convinced Kaiyo and Namiri to do the same. Not only did this seem to help moral of all the student police, but it also made the time individuals spent on patrol shorter.

A hand clapped Kashiro on the shoulder. Setzu appeared beside him, wearing an impish grin. "Feeding time," she sang.

"I... Belle already fed me, but thanks anyway."

Her grin went away. "What! It was MY turn!" Setzu said, glaring at him.

Kashiro backed up a half step from her sudden anger. "Sorry, but she was right here, and..."

"You must follow the order!" Setzu said, pointing her finger at him. "Shizu, me THEN Belle! Not Shizu, Belle, me then Belle again!"

"Sorry, I forgot," Kashiro offered, surprised at her intensity.

Grabbing his collar with both her fists, Setzu said, "I want my turn!"

"OK, OK!" Kashiro cried not knowing what the big deal was. He held onto Setzu as she put a hand on the back of his head and planted face into her neck. Again, he was careful, taking only a bit from her. Setzu melted into his arms as he fed. Like Belle, she parted from him with a happy blush. "Don't forget me again," she said, wearing a smirk.

"I won't honest."

Kashiro managed to eat his food peacefully and get upstairs to his room, which like the other bedrooms, had their own bathrooms now. Not wanting to waste the herbs or time on a bath, he cleaned up and was ready for some sleep. He was really glad he'd done his homework in school.

He then noticed a form was already in his bed. Namiri popped her head up, smiling at him. "All nice and warm," she said.

Seeing one naked shoulder, Kashiro asked, "Um, you have a nightgown on, right?"

"OH, you're so boring," Namiri said with a frown.

"Well?"

Letting out a huff, Namiri flashed the covers back to show a white and very sheer Teddy, and quickly covered herself again. "See? Now come on, the bed _was_ nice and warm."

Kashiro tried to pretend not to have seen pretty much everything from her belly button up. "Can you make it a thicker one next time?" he asked.

"I like thin nighties," Namiri said confidently.

"And Kaiyo is OK with that?"

Namiri shrugged. "I promised I wouldn't do anything, just hold her place. What you do, is up to you."

If Kashiro went down to sleep on the couch, then Setzu and Shizu would assume it was OK to carry him off to their room once he fell asleep. He'd been down that road before. It was a shock waking up between two girls in their layered paper 'hive' they slept in. At times, he seriously thought about going back to the dorm.

He got in bed and pointed, saying, "My side, your side." Thankfully, Namiri didn't argue.

Staying quiet long enough to all but drift off, Kashiro hear a soft voice in his ear. "Would you like a nip?"

"I'm good," he mumbled.

"I know, that's why I'm asking," Namiri whispered.

"Night, Namiri."

"Good night," she said with a huff.

Namiri was still a bit disappointed, but that was OK. She was slowly getting what she wanted. Kashiro was handsome, kind and strong. The perfect husband material. He was coming around too. Slow, but that was fine. While vampires held their place as the strongest of yokai, it was the fox who was the most clever. By gaining bits of ground making deals and assuring Kashiro was comfortable and partially ignorant or what she arraigned, she would be the 'real wife' by the time they graduated. Long term planning was the key. She closed her eyes and smiled. Hopefully tonight Belle would come through, thinking she was doing this deed for herself.

.

Once Kaiyo got the night guard checked in, she and Belle went out for the first part of the night's patrol. As of now, there wasn't much to guard except the construction equipment all over the bare wood framed village. An easy stroll down the street and they could see almost everything.

Right after passing one of the few completed shells to the houses, Belle stopped and looked down. Kaiyo turned to watch Belle kneel down on one knee.

"Shoe strings loose," Belle explained as she retied her shoe.

Kaiyo had only meant to look at Belle briefly. A shudder went through her, she felt faint and passed out.

The next thing Kaiyo knew, Belle was standing over her with the other patrol.

"Kaiyo? Are you OK, what happened? Where were you?" Belle asked.

"Lieutenant, we were looking for you for the past hour! Where were you?" a boy asked.

Kaiyo blinked. "I ... don't know.".

"I stopped to tie my shoe, and you disappeared," Belle said.

"We thought someone kidnapped you."

"We were about to wake up the Captain," another boy said.

Kaiyo got up off the stone she was lying on. The last she knew she'd been in the middle of the village. Now, she was near the lake. She had no idea how she'd gotten here. "Did any of you see anyone else around?" she asked.

"Can you stand up?" Belle asked, and offered her hand.

Kaiyo took her hand and got up.

"Maybe you should go rest, Lieutenant," one of the boys offered.

"Yes," Belle agreed and turned to the group. "Supers, take the rest of our patrol. The rest of you get some sleep. If you see anyone, blow your whistles! There may be someone is still lurking about!"

Kaiyo went back to the station house with Belle. She was feeling all right, but had no idea what happened in that missing hour. She spend a few hours in the 'office' room with Belle, looking out the windows while the other patrol went back in the bunk room to salvage what sleep they could.

.

The next morning, Kashiro did an investigation. Belle and Kaiyo took him to where Belle had last seen Kaiyo, the last place Kaiyo remembered being. He studied the ground for extra footprints and had Namiri sniff for any strange scents. They came up empty. Going to where Belle had found Kaiyo, Namiri did pick up a weak scent. Going back to the shell of a house, Kashiro helped Namiri up onto the roof. There, she smelled the same scent.

"Whoever it was, was a flier," Kashiro concluded. "They must have knocked Kaiyo out and lifted her straight up."

"I am sorry I missed that possibility. I could have caught them," Belle said sheepishly.

"We're suppose to stay in human form, so it's understandable," Kashiro told her. "You didn't hear anything?"

Belle shook her head. "Human hearing when I'm in human form," she explained.

Kashiro thought this was very odd. Students did disappear from time to time, but none had ever been taken just to be dropped back off, let alone with having nothing done to them. "I wonder if this was done just to embarrass the student police," he mussed.

"That is very possible," Namiri said. "There are students who'd like us to be disbanded."

"Yeah, so they can do their dirty deeds with no one watching," another girl added.

That didn't even make a lot of sense, Kashiro thought, because no one had been around except student police. Embarrassing them in front of no one would do no good. "Until we know different, we're going to treat this like an attempted kidnapping. Whoever took Kaiyo were afraid they were going to get caught and left without her. I have to go make my report to Captain Nog."

.

Akemi and Kumiko sat at the same long desk during their Magic Class at the Witch College. In front of them were miniature magic circles burned into the desktops. The circles had no runes or symbols in them. A circle within a circle with a pentagram inside was all that made up the magic circles. All the runes and symbols were on pieces of paper piled up beside them.

"All right girls," their teacher, a brown haired witch said as she held up her wand. "Today we are going to go over what gives a magic circle it's power and the basic arrangement of symbols ..."

Kumiko sat elbow on the desk, chin on her hand as she dug in the pile and pulled out the symbol

the teacher was holding up and placed it on the circle in front of her as the teacher indicated. Much of it she was familiar with, she'd seen Mama Yukari's magic circle many times. The ones they were making now were not nearly as elaborate and were not chock full of runes as Mama Yukari's was.

Singing a song in her head as she worked, Kumiko made the 'basic' magic circle with symbols between the inner and outer circles at the tips of the pentagram. Since she had no desire to actually go home and make her own magic circle, Kumiko's mind drifted. She thought about music and how the lines made by the two circles look similar to the five lines used for sheet music that Mama Kurumu used.

Suddenly, Kumiko was staring at her circle and the symbols in between the lines. Notes. Although they were shaped different, they had a strong resemblance to music notes. A circle of notes to play a never ending song. She shifted the top rune atop the line of the outer circle, left the next one in place, and shifted the third symbol atop the inner circle.

"What are you doing?" Akemi asked quietly.

"It's like music," Kumiko whispered back, now engrossed in her experiment. Shifting the runes to form a five note tune, she quietly hummed her short tune. Her humming at first was normal, then her low hum seemed to infect the desk. The top began to vibrate in tune with her humming.

"Kumiko, stop, the teacher's coming!" Akemi warned.

Kumiko didn't hear her. Transfixed by the desk vibrating to her tune, and the magic circle softly glowing, she stared at it seeing nor hearing anything else. She wasn't even aware of the form standing right in front of her desk.

"Miss Aono!"

Kumiko heard the yell but paid no attention to it. The five note tune seemed to be permeating her as well as the desk. It felt pleasant. The simple tune was becoming more intense, enveloping her in a warm feeling.

_"Kaz-na!"_

Kumiko blinked. She'd stopped humming. The pleasant feeling was gone, the vibrations had stopped. The teacher stood in front of her.

"Miss Aono, what were you doing?" the teacher asked harshly. "You were to construct a magic circle, NOT activate it!"

Kumiko looked up at her with a confused expression. "I ... did? What did I do?"

Frowning down on her, the teacher said, "That is very dangerous, young lady! You activated an uncontrolled magic circle! ANYHING could have happened! And how did you activate it when all your symbols are not in the proper place?"

"I don't know!" Kumiko cried. "I just saw them as music notes and make a tune out of them."

"Music notes?" the teacher asked as she studied Kumiko's circle.

"Yes, I didn't expect anything to happen," Kumiko said defensively.

"Nothing should have happened. The symbols are not in the right place, and they are not even on the circle. That's why they are scraps of paper. For the circle to work, they need to be written on the same surface. Yet your circle became active anyway. This does not make sense," the teacher mussed.

"I'm sorry," Kumiko offered.

The teacher looked around and pointed to an empty desk behind them and said, "Girls, go over to that desk and rebuild your circles like they are meant to be. Don't touch the ones in front of you. Go!"

Akemi and Kumiko got up and did as their teacher ordered. Sitting down at the new desk, Kumiko put her circle together. She also noticed that with a wave of the teacher's wand, their original desk disappeared.

That was too bad, Kumiko liked that tune.

Kumiko got through the class not causing any other problems. She listened to some magic theory, and how the magic circles were amplifiers to the caster's own energies. Built properly, a magic circle could give the caster a hundredfold in power. Built improperly, it could sap a caster's strength, or even her life.

Once class was over, Akemi and Kumiko walked back to the high school. Akemi glanced at Kumiko a couple times, then asked, "What was that you did to make your magic circle glow?

Kumiko shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think it was reacting to my humming. I saw the symbols as notes, arraigned them into a simple tune and hummed it. The circle started to glow, then the desk vibrated and I don't know, my humming became ... stronger. It kinda went back though me."

"With nothing more than paper symbols?"

"What did you see?"

Akemi frowned and said, "Kumiko, the teacher said it shouldn't have done anything, but obviously it did. Your circle glowed and your hum was filling the room. For a while there, I'm sure the floor was vibrating too. I think you made have discovered a different type of magic."

Kumiko gapped at her. "ME finding a new kind of magic? You're not serious. I think I just happened to ... I don't know, stumbled onto something someone left behind."

"We'll talk to Mama Yukari when we get home. I think you're on to something," Akemi told her.

Coming to the walkway towards them, Azami waved and called, "Hey Akemi, Kumiko! My exchange student paperwork came through!" Azami ran up to them to show the the package. Beaming them a smile, Azami said "It came! I'll be starting the year there by the time I get there, so before I leave I can do my witch studies and get my practices in before I go. Their school ends before ours does so I can catch up at the end too!"

Akami looked at the cover sheet. "You're going to Chicago?"

Azami nodded. "They don't have school uniforms there, so I'll just be wearing regular clothes, which will be kind of weird, and it looks like I might have to ride a bus, but that's no big deal, right?"

Kumiko winced. "But, you'll be so far away from home, for the whole school year. Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Just nine months. I talked about it with Papa and Mama Moka and they are going to help me pack to be sure I have everything," Azami said confidently.

"And the people you'll be staying with are named Murphy,"' Akemi mussed.

.

Anna Murphy let out a huff as she opened the door to her mother's house, her father carrying her bags in behind her. Fifteen and into the ripped jeans / dark sweaters and fingerless gloves, she liked her 'punk' look. "Dad, Mom's gonna freak when she finds out you're dumping me here."

"I'm not 'dumping' you, sweetheart," he said as he put her luggage down. "You mother gets to spend time with you too, that's the agreement. I know your mother works late hours sometimes, so I arraigned it for you to have a friend for the school year," he said offering her a smile.

Anna shot him a glare. "What did you do, Dad?" she asked heavily.

Talking fast, he handed her an envelope and said, "I already got everything set for you, dear. You see sweetheart, I arraigned for an exchange student! She's about your age and from Japan. Now don't get upset, it says here she's fluent in English and she is a different ethnicity called 'Yokai'. According to this, she needs some special herbs for her skin, and daily blood transfusions, but that shouldn't be a big problem. I mean it's not like she's disabled or anything. I'm sure there are many things you two will have to talk about and you'll have a great time together. Isn't that fantastic?"

"Dad! Mom is gonna kill you! She will hunt you down and SHOOT you dead! She's already loaded with work with her job, and now you dump this on her?" Anna cried, wide eyed.

"It's OK, Sweetheart, she'll understand. Now, I have to catch my flight. Call you when I can. Bye hon," he said quickly, and left.

Anna clapped her hands over her face. "You idiot!" she screamed. She snapped up the envelope and went over the the chair in the entryway to plop down and read it. She pulled some papers out and looked at then. Her eyes widened. "Her plane is coming in TODAY?"

She dug her phone out and called her mother.

.

Harry Dresden hadn't planned on going to the airport today. Murphy had been raving and spitting nails. She was in court today, and she found out at the last minute she was suppose to pick someone up. He wasn't going to curse her ex-husband like she wanted him to, but he would pick this girl up from the airport. From what he gathered, an asian girl was coming on a plane to be an exchange student, and Murphy's ex had some arraigned for her to stay with Murphy. Apparently the girl also needed transfusions and had serious skin problems.

Blood was going to run when the poor man showed his face again. Harry was so glad he wasn't the target of 'hurricane Murphy'.

Parking in short term, Harry got his sign and went to the terminal the girl was suppose to be coming in at. Murphy had called him none too soon. He'd no more that got in the crowd waiting just past customs for the people coming out, when the trickle started. Harry dutifully held up his sign that said 'Aono' and waited.

"What are you doing here?" a firm, deep voice asked from behind him.

Harry turned to see a well dress tall black man, the High Council enforcer, behind him and gazing at him unkindly. "Hi Morgan. I was asked to pick someone up. Same with you?" he asked.

"Yes," Morgan said slowly. "And when her Highness arrives, do NOT speak to her."

"Ohh," Harry cooed. "A VIP. Sure thing, Morgan, I won't get in your way. Not a word, promise." Harry said confidently.

Morgan stood beside Harry, holding his own sign. Quietly, he said, "I suppose you know the importance of keeping up good relations with the various important people around the world. We have found these vampires to be good friends. We want nothing to go wrong with her highness' visit."

"Black Court or Red Court?" Harry asked, then quickly added, "Just curious."

Morgan eyed him. "Neither. This is a vampire princess, she stands far above both. She's what's referred to as a Shinso, the one of most powerful vampire family that ever existed. Possibly THE most. To help keep the peace, they have taken down things you can't even imagine. As I said we have good relations with them. Do nothing to endanger that."

Harry watched the line of people work their way through customs, expecting to see a woman dressed in the finest clothes and holding herself like royalty. While he was scanning the crowd, a small pale pink haired girl in a light coat jerked on his sleeve. He looked down and noticed she was glancing between him and Morgan. He also noted her one red, and one green eye.

"Umm, excuse me, you gentlemen are waiting for me? I'm Azami Aono, pleased to meet you," the girl said, and bowed.

Harry stared at her. Morgan bowed so fast and so deep, Harry wondered if he was going to clack heads with the girl.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you, Miss Aono. We have a limo waiting to take you to wherever you wish to go," Morgan said formally.

"I am suppose to reside at the Murphy house," Azami explained, and dug the address out of her coat pocket.

Harry swallowed. The exchange student was a vampire princess, and she was going to live with Murphy. This was not good. NOT good at all. "You're Murphy's exchange student?" he asked.

Morgan shot him a glare.

Azami nodded. "Yes, I wanted to see how other people lived. Can you help me with my bags?" she asked, and handed him the address.

"Ahh, sure, right away, I'll get them for you," Harry said quickly while his mind was churning. "Ahh, this way, please."

Morgan went with them, silently drilling holes in Harry with his eyes.

"So, are you Mr. Murphy?" Azami asked.

"I'm sorry, the name's Harry Dresden, and this is Mr. Morgan," Harry said, making sure he included Morgan. "So you you're going to spend the school year here?"

Azami giggled at his nervousness. "Yes. It's going to be weird not wearing a school uniform, I'm sure there will be many things to adjust to, but Papa says new experiences are good for you."

Coming to the conveyor, Morgan stepped up and said, "Please point out your bags, Miss Aono, we will retrieve them." He shot Harry a look that said he better help.

"There's one!" Azami said, pointing to a large trunk coming down the conveyor.

Harry dutifully grabbed the handle, gave a jerk and fell on it. Azami giggled and picked the trunk off, Harry and all. "Careful, it's heavy," she said with a grin. "There's only one more, I should probably get it."

Harry cast her a weak smile and tried to ignore the look of horror on Morgan's face. Morgan begged Azami to get the other trunk for her. He did but it was still a struggle for him.

"Please, let me," Azami said. She picked up both trunks like they were nothing.

Harry guided her out to the parking garage, Morgan split off to the waiting limo. "This way, please," he offered.

Azami stopped and eyed the men. "You don't know where your car is?" she asked.

Harry shrugged and relented. "Miss. Aono, I only have a small jeep. Morgan brought a limo for you. That would be much more comfortable."

"A jeep?"

"Yes, an old army surplus jeep," Harry admitted.

"Really?" Azami beamed. "I've ridden in limos before, can I ride in your jeep?"

"If you want," Harry said with a flap of his arms.

"Miss Aono, that ... thing Mr. Dresden has is small uncomfortable and unsafe," Morgan intoned. "For your own protection, please, allow me to give you a ride."

Azami looked at Harry. "You know where we're going, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I want to ride with you."

Morgan tightened his fists and gave Harry a death glare. Harry was sure that if Miss Aono wasn't standing right here, Morgan would have pulled his hidden sword and struck him down.

Leaving a stewing Morgan, Harry walked down to his jeep with Azami carrying a pair of trunks it didn't look like she had any business lifting to begin with. His phone rang.

"Dresden ... Yes, Murphy, she's right here ... No, I don't think you can call her sickly, she seems quite capable ... Ahh well, I can take her to my place ... right, until you get out ... Anna? I don't know, she's probably at your house ... OK ... OK, tell you what, I'll meet you for dinner, I'll buy ... Fine, dutch, and we'll wait for you ... right, see you later." Hanging up the phone, Harry told Azami, "Mrs. Murphy will be running late, so do you mind coming to my place for a while? We'll pick up Anna a little later."

Azami shrugged. "OK."

Coming to the jeep, Harry unzipped the back.

"Ohh how cute!" Azami cooed as seeing the jeep. It took some effort to get the trunks in and sitting side by side to stick out the back, but Harry helped Azami get them in.

"Hey, pal, got any money?" a man in a deep, dark hoodie asked.

Harry patted his pockets. "Sorry, already gone," he said with a shrug.

"I insist," the man stated and pulled a gun.

**BONG**

Before Harry could move to do anything, a large brass pan fell down from above and cracked the man on the head. He fell limp.

"Baka," Azami spat. She then beamed Harry a smile and said, "Let's go!"

Wanting to get out of there before the man woke up, Harry got Azami in and seat-belted and drove them out of there. Once out and onto the highway, Harry eyed Azami. "You can do magic?" he asked.

Azami nodded, "We have a Witch College at home and Mama Yukari is a great witch. She taught me the pan spell. You know magic too?"

"I'm a wizard."

"All right!" Azami beamed. "I've known many witches, but no wizards. You're the first. We're going by your place, right? Can you show me some of the stuff you do?"

Casting her a sideways glance, Harry said, "You don't see to be like the average snooty vampire. No offense, but you are much more agreeable."

"Papa says to treat people like they treat you. Is he wrong?" Azami asked.

Harry laughed. "No, he's not wrong at all. I'm just surprised, that's all."

"So is Mrs. Murphy a witch?"

Harry's mood sobered. "About that," he said in a serious tone. "Mrs. Murphy is a cop. She's human, she can't know what you are."

Azami scrunched her face up and asked, "Why? Every human I know at home knows what I am."

"Miss Aono, you have to remember, you're not home now. Things are different here. And if you go out," he paused then nodded, remembering the transfusions. "Right, the blood packs. You drink blood packs."

"Yeah, Papa said I have to while I'm here," Azami said in a dull tone.

"And the herbs?"

"Purify water so I can clean up. Like you said, I'm not home. Papa has purified water running through the house, so I can just jump in the shower or take a bath. I'll have to be careful to purify the water here first before I get in it," Azami explained.

"Makes sense." Harry then realized he was driving down the road in broad daylight with a vampire. "And the sun doesn't affect you?" he asked.

Azami cast him a crooked grin. "I'm not weak, Mr. Dresden, only the weak vampires are affected by sunlight."

"I thought they all were."

"Nope, only the weaklings. Papa says he is planning to do something about that too. It's also the weaklings that make all the trouble by killing people. I just don't know what he's planning," Azami explained.

"That would make life a whole lot easier," Harry agreed.

"Papa's got so much to work on it's amazing. Gramma put him in charge of human yokai relations. So far, we're doing good. I mean we got all kinds of creature going to Witch Hill, and Akemi, my sister has a human boyfriend."

"Really? Do you have a boyfriend?" Harry asked.

"No. I mean Aiden is cool and all, and he turns into this awesome werewolf, big and strong! But he's not really my boyfriend."

"It does sound like you live in a different world," Harry agreed. Looking up at the signs, he said, "Here's our exit."

.

Harry invited Azami into his shop. She came in, gazing at the magic symbols covering the timbers and walls. "Wow, Mama Yukari puts her magic symbols in a circle, you kinda plaster them all over the place," she said. She then paused and asked, "Who else is here?"

Harry frowned. "No one else is here," he said.

"Someone is," Azami sang as she looked around. Settling her gaze on the far wall, she said, "There."

Bob stepped out of the wall, showing himself. He bowed to her. "Good day, Miss. I assume you are speaking about me. Hrothbert of Bainbridge, at your service, M'lady."

Azami returned his bow. "Azami Aono. You are a nice, polite ghost, sir."

"Thank you for the compliment, my dear." Bob said with a grand gesture. Casting a look at Harry, he added, "Unlike some barbarians, I prefer to be courteous."

Azami giggled. "Mr. Dresden isn't a barbarian. I've seen barbarians. I take it you like the finer things in life."

With a roll of his eyes Bob let out a sad sigh. "If only I were allowed," he lamented.

Leaning against his desk, Harry asked, "Hey, Bob? Would you mind not whining in front of the Princess?"

Bob let out another heavy sigh. "So sorry, your Majesty, but I do miss the finer things in life. If only I were allowed to say, go see a ballet one more time."

Azami perked up. "You like the pretty dance?"

"Bob," Harry groaned.

Smiling at Azami, Bob said, "Yes, ballet is a pretty dance indeed."

"Mr. Dresden? If you have some music and can clear a space for me, I'd be happy to dance for Mr. Bainbridge," Azami offered.

Bob's face lit up with joy. Clapping his hands together eagerly, he asked, "Oh would you, your Majesty?"

Azami nodded. "I'll go get the trunk my practice clothes are in," she said and went back out.

Harry rubbed his forehead with a groan. "Bob! Morgan is already pissed at me for picking up Miss Aono at the airport. If he comes in and sees us having her dance, he's going to blow a gasket."

Bob waved a dismissive hand at Harry. "Oh come now Harry, how often do they show up at your door?"

.

Azami found her leotards and slippers. She helped Harry clear a place in his small living room, then Harry got out the wind-up Victrola. Bob stood motionless to one side as Azami took the floor. Beginning in a cross-legged crouch, arms arched and crossed in front of her, Azami went into a dance, feeling the music like Aunt Kahlua showed her. Not having much space, she didn't try the more energetic moves. Moving to the scratchy music, Azami flowed from one position to another, finding the room to do a couple small, graceful leaps.

Despite himself, Harry found he was entranced by Azami's graceful, flowing movements. He watched every move, awed by the level of skill Azami had. Once the song ended and she settled back down into her crossed limbs pose (which looked hard to do all by itself) He found himself applauding as Bob cried, "BRAVO!" with tears in his eyes.

There were also a lot more people applauding. As Azami took her bows, Harry noted Morgan, one of his helpers and Ancient Mai also cheerfully applauding Azami's dance.

Oh shit.

Ancient Mai ignored Harry completely. Stepping up to Azami, she bowed deeply and introduced herself. "I am called Mai, it is a pleasure to meet you, Princess. You dance was very well done."

"Grace in motion," Bob said with a happy sigh as he wiped away a tear.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mai. Greetings, Mr. Morgan," Azami replied pleasantly. "Thank you for the compliment."

Morgan bowed to her. "Always a pleasure to see you, Princess."

Mai then said, "Princess, do you really wish to be in Mr. Dresden's company while you are here? We have had to watch him. He's been known to be a problem."

Azami pressed her lips together as she eyed Harry. "Miss Mai, I can assure you that if Mr. Dresden steps out of line, I can show him his place. He has been a fine gentleman so far, and I am sure he will continue to. Isn't that right, Mr. Dresden?"

"Yes, of course," Harry agreed quickly.

"Mr. Bainbridge, did you enjoy my dance?" Azami asked.

Bob bowed deeply as he blubbered out, "Oh yes, your Majesty! I can't thank you enough for sharing such a wonderful performance! It was as if the angels themselves have cast a golden light upon me! I have been truly blessed by your grace and beauty!"

"Wow," Azami said with a giggle.

"May I inquire where you will be staying during your visit?" Mai asked in a more pleasant tone than Harry had ever heard from her before.

"I'll be staying at the Murphy's and going to school," Azami said, being sure to add, "And Mr. Dresden has explained that we cannot reveal what we are to humans here. I will follow the rules, Miss Mai."

"It would be easier for you if we set you up with your own suite," Mai offered.

"Thank you, but I came to see how people here live. Papa says it is important," Azami explained.

"Your Papa is a wise man," Mai said, giving Azami another bow. "Please feel free to call on us if you need anything. Just say my name, and I will come to your aid."

"Thank you for your concern, Mai. And if there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask," Azami replied.

All three bowed as they left. Mai asked in her pleasant tone, "Mr. Dresden, may I see you outside for a moment?"

Harry nodded and went out to see a spear had been driven into the pavement, butt first. Mai gabbed the back of his head and made him look at the point sticking up. Her voice turned angry. "I will make this very easy to understand, Dresden," she growled. "No one will fault a princess. If anything, ANYTHING happens, it will be your head on that pike. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Harry said as he winced from the abuse.

.

Azami put on a dark blue skirt, white shirt and dark blue 'V' neck sweater for her dinner date to meet the Murphy family with Mr. Dresden. Although Harry planned on going in his pullover shirt, trousers and long coat, between Bob and Azami, they talked him into not dressing like a 'ragamuffin'. Azami had him take her to a men's store and bought him a nice sweater and pants set that looked decent.

Anna Murphy was another story. Once they got Azami's trunks in the house, Anna said she was ready to go. Upon seeing Anna come out in her ripped punk outfit, Azami though she'd been playing in the back yard. "You're going like that?" Azami asked, shocked at her appearance.

Anna rolled her eyes and asked, "So, you're a fashion plait, huh?"

Azami let out a snort. "At least I don't look like I just lost a fight with a wolf."

Harry wisely remained silent.

"Hey, well this is me, OK?" Anna stated and climbed into the back of the jeep.

Looking at the decent sized house and how well it was kept, Azami got in the front and said, "If that's all you could afford, I can understand it. Why wear old, worn out clothes when you don't have to?"

"Hey, Miss Priss, I just got this outfit!" Anna said angrily. "This is the style I like."

Azami blinked. "You're kidding."

"The Preppy look went out with the middle-ages."

Azami looked at Harry.

Harry nodded. "That is the style kids are wearing now."

"Strange."

"But, hey," Anna offered, "Those contacts you got are really cool. That one red eye looks awesome."

Harry looked at Azami and shook his head. "Just agreed," he coaxed.

The drive down to the restaurant was quiet. Heading inside, Azami wasn't sure from what she'd seen if Harry could afford the bill, so she stopped a waitress and informed the woman to give her the bill for the meal. The strange trio sat down.

"Mom likes this place," Anna noted as she sat. "So, Azami is it? Where in Japan are you from?"

"Witch Hill, we live up by the cliffs near the sea. My school is down the hill, Witch Hill Academy," Azami said.

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Witch Hill? Sure you're not a Goth?"

"What's a Goth?"

"You know, people who like pretend to be vampires and undead, things like that."

Azami shook her head and said, "I don't pretend."

Anna stared at her.

"How was your flight?" Harry asked quickly. "I take it it went smoothly?"

"Yeah, but there's a lot of nosy people at the airport," Azami grumbled. "Those air port guys had to route through everything of mine. Papa told me it might happen, and said to just put up with it."

Anna leaned towards Azami and asked, "They didn't squeeze your tits did they? I heard they like doing that."

Azami frowned at her. "No, I didn't have to show anyone their place."

"What's that? Showing them their place?" Anna asked. "You mess with those guys, they haul you off and strip search you, take pictures and throw you in jail."

Azami let out a snort and said, "I don't think so."

"Hello Harry, Anna," Connie Murphy said as she came to the table and sat down. She stared briefly at Azami and asked, "Harry, this is the girl?"

"Yes, Azami Aono," Harry said, introducing her. "Azami, this is Connie Murphy."

Azami bowed to her. "Please to meet you, Mrs. Murphy."

Looking frazzled, Murphy said, "Likewise. I was told you need blood transfusions. After dinner, we can go to the hospital. I already contacted the clinic there. Once we get you checked in, you'll be able to get your daily transfusions."

Azami blinked. "That seems to be a lot of effort, Mrs. Murphy. Can't we just pick up a blood pack from the hospital?"

"We don't have the medical equipment necessary at home to give transfusions," Murphy explained.

"I can do it myself," Azami said. "No need to make such a big fuss."

"You give yourself blood?" Anna asked, wincing.

Azami looked at Harry. Right, she couldn't explain. She had to think of a story. "Mrs. Murphy, Mr. Dresden already set up what I need, so you don't have to worry about it."

Murphy eyed Harry. "Thank you, Harry, but please inform me before you make any further arrangements," she said in a sweet / scolding tone.

"Just trying to help," he offered.

"Miss Aono?" A blond woman beaming a smile came up beside Azami. Presenting Azami with a red and gold thermos, she said, "A gift for you from Bianca and all of us at Red Court. We hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you," Azami said as she took the thermos.

"If you need anything, please feel free to ask," the woman said, bowed to Azami and left.

Anna watched the woman come and go, then eyed Azami. "Who was that?"

"One of your friends, by the looks," Murphy said as she eyed Harry.

Struggling to come up with something, Harry went with, "It's a cult thing ... Japanese cult thing."

"You're telling me a cult is following her around?" Murphy asked with a raised eyebrow.

Azami unscrewed the top as she said, "Mrs. Murphy, they mean no harm. They just wanted to let me know I have help if I need it." She lifted the cup lid and sniffed. "Ohh! that smells good!" she said happily. She recapped the thermos.

"What is it?" Murphy asked bluntly.

"Tomato juice, a special blend," Azami stated.

The waitress came by and took orders. Murphy eyed the thermos a few times. She asked about Azami's family. Azami was eager to tell her. After running through all her siblings and their ages, Azami said, "And my Mama's are Moka, Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, and Minori.."

"You have five mothers?" Murphy asked in disbelief.

Azami nodded. "Yes. Our house is nice and big, so we have plenty of room. Aunt Ruby and Gramma Ageha built it for Papa not long after he married Mama Moka and Mama Kurumu."

"You are in some kind of cult then," Anna concluded. "This ... Yokai cult, right?"

Azami eyed her. "There is no cult. You are yokai, or you're not."

Anna frowned and pulled out her phone to start playing with it. "Azami, you said one of your mothers is named Kurumu? That's Kurumu Aono?"

"That's right."

"She have a band?"

"The Flying Yokai."

Anna smiled and said, "Yeah, OK, I thought I heard that name before. The Flying Yokai is a huge hit with the goth crowd. So one of your moms is a rock star."

"Mama Kurumu is popular," Azami agreed. "Mama Moka takes care of the family businesses. Papa takes care of political things. Everyone has their jobs they do."

"Is there some kind of religion they practice?" Murphy asked with an intent look on her face.

"Not really," Azami replied. "I mean there is a church on the hill, the Tappans, Chris and Nana take care of that. They do good things for people and Papa helps support them, but it's not like they rule our lives."

"This church supports polygamy?"

Azami shook her head. "No," she said, then caught onto what Mrs. Murphy was getting at. "Oh wait, I think I see. You think the church talked all my mama's into marrying Papa! That's not what happened at all. Papa and all my mama's went to high school together, they were all friends and decided to live together," Azami explained.

"That's hard to believe. I'm surprised no one was hurt." Murphy said, trying to imagine 5 women after the same man.

"Not permanently," Azami assured her. "I don't even think my Mama's have really fought each other as long as I can remember. We all do practice matches, but nothing serious."

"You all practice martial arts," Murphy concluded.

"Yes, Mama Moka says it is important to be able to defend yourself."

"What style of fighting do you use?"

"Shinso," Azami said with a shrug, not knowing what else to call it.

Eager to get off what could be a touchy subject, Harry said, "You know, Azami, that was a very good ballet you performed earlier today."

"Thank you," Azami beamed. "I think Mr. Bainbridge was really enjoyed it. I've never seen someone so happy to watch the Pretty dance that they cried before."

"You perform Ballet?" Murphy asked.

"Aunt Kahlua taught me," Azami said proudly. 'She's really good at it."

"Excuse me, your Highness," a dark clothed man said meekly. Bowing to Azami, he presented a small wooden box to her. "Please accept this token of our support. If you need any assistance, please allow Black Court to serve you."

"Thank you, sir," Azami said politely and took the box.

Murphy watched the man leave.

Azami put the box on her lap and looked in briefly.

"Another gift?" Anna asked.

"Just a show of support," Azami told her.

Dinner came and Murphy was discovering more questions than answers about their new exchange student. By the shows of support from strangers, she had to wonder if Azami's family had close ties to the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. She didn't pay too much attention to the thermos until once when Azami uncapped it to drink, she smelled a familiar odor that shouldn't be there. One she only usually smelled at murder scenes.

Harry thought the dinner went fairly well. He mentally cursed both courts of the local vampires for taking this time to show their support to the Aono's. He could tell Murphy's radar was up. She was already suspecting something was amis. He suspected even more when Murphy asked him to accompany them home.

To Murphy's surprise, Azami hefted each large trunk that was taller than Harry, up the stairs by herself. Anna had offered to help, but couldn't even lift one. Once Azami was carrying the second one up, Murphy grabbed Harry by the ear and walked in the living room, saying, "Come with me."

Stopping in the living room, Murphy turned on Harry. "Talk, who is she?"

Harry winced. "Ahh Murphy, this is something you don't want to dig into," he offered.

"Harry, this girl shows up as an exchange student new to this country, but somehow people arrive to show her their support. She's also apparently well bred. Is she a mafia Princess? What?"

"Murph, please, let this one go. Azami's a good kid," Harry begged.

Murphy bobbed her head as she eyed him. "Yes, a good kid. Who drinks blood. I got a taste of what's in that thermos. It's warm blood, Harry. She's been drinking from it half the night. What is it with her and blood, Harry? What is it you're not telling me?"

"Ohh," Harry moaned as he rubbed his face. "Can I just say this is something from my side of the tracks that you really don't want to deal with?"

"NO, not when I am responsible for her welfare!" Murphy barked. "And if I find that child has suffered any abuse, you know what happens next," Murphy said firmly.

Harry grimaced. He knew all right, down to the station and let the investigations begin.

"Komenesai," a small voice said from the side.

Azami bowed again. Meekly she said, "Please forgive me, Mrs. Murphy. You have been put in a tough position by others. I am a burden to you in more ways than one. You need not worry about me, I will find a place to stay."

Murphy's heart went out to the child. "No, you're not a burden," she said and went over to put an arm around Azami. "You did nothing wrong, dear, but I do have questions I need you to answer."

"I may not be able to give the answers you seek," Azami said.

Murphy led Azami by the hand to sit her on the couch. Gently, Murphy said, "Azami, why are you drinking blood from a thermos? Who was that lady that gave it to you? I need to know."

Azami gazed at her for a moment, then said in a smooth tone, "Mrs. Murphy, there was no blood. It was tomato juice in that thermos. You tasted the tomato juice, didn't you?"

Listening, Harry noted the hypnotic tone to Azami's voice. He turned away and made a quick ward against hypnotism.

Her face becoming slack, Murphy gazed back at Azami. "Tomato juice?" she asked.

"Yes, tomato juice. That woman, and the man who gave me gifts were sent by Mr. Dresden, to help me feel at home here. He is a good man, Mrs. Murphy. You can count on Mr. Dresden to be there for you."

"He is a good man, and a somewhat strange," Murphy agreed with a slight smile.

"Yes. Mr. Dresden got me tomato juice and he welcomed me here. You tasted the tomato juice in the thermos," Azami intoned. "Not blood, tomato juice. Everything is fine, Mrs. Murphy, and I will strive to help you just like Mr. Dresden does."

"I understand," Murphy said with a pleasant smile.

Azami returned her smile. "I must go set my room up and rest for tomorrow. Have a good night, Mrs. Murphy, and remember I am on your side."

"Have a good night, dear," Murphy said, and kissed her forehead.

Harry watched Murphy get up, wearing a pleasant smile. Casting him an impish grin, she said, "You have gone above and beyond for her, Harry. I appreciate it. I don't know if I can do this without

you."

"I'm here to help," Harry said with a shrug. He also was relieved they'd dodged a big bullet.


	22. Chapter 22

CH 61

The next day Azami went to school with Anna. Anna in her punk with the leather jacket and a chain hanging off it, Azami in a green sweater & skirt combo with her hair braided and curled into a bun.

"You shouldn't wear skirts," Anna said with a huff as they walked. "We got perverts at school that think a skirt is an invitation for sex."

"They need to be shown their place," Azami stated.

Anna shook her head sadly. "Azami, these are bad guys. They will have no problem smacking you down and dragging you into an alley. They will show no mercy."

Azami glanced at Anna. "I am sorry you have to live around such barbarians."

"Yeah, well, this is the city. Look, stay close to me and stay away from alleys. I don't care what they tempt you with." Anna went to smack Azami on the shoulder. Before her hand hit, Azami's hand caught her wrist. She hadn't even seen the girl move.

"I'm serious," Anna said firmly.

"As am I. Stay close and you will be safe," Azami told her, and released her wrist.

On the way, they met up with a few of Anna's friends, all in clothes Mama Minori would have thrown out. They passed other students in ridiculous clothes. Boys who's pants looked to be falling off, others who Azami was sure Ruby would have sent home to go get dressed.

"Hey, you!" a pink haired girl snapped.

Azami eyed her as they passed. The Pink haired girl followed her.

"Who are you? You think you're one of us?" the girl asked.

"Get lost," Anna called back over her shoulder. A boy who had joined their group stopped, forcing the pink haired girl back.

Azami went into the office with Anna and handed in her papers. She got her class assignments and left to go to her homeroom.

Anna took a seat towards the back of the room. Azami took an empty one just ahead of her. In front of Azami, another girl with long pink hair sat down and turned to face her.

"What's your name?" the girl asked in a challenge.

"You may call me Miss Aono, you rude person," Azami said, casting her an unhappy look.

"Yeah, right. You think you're an Aono, huh?" the girl said sarcastically. "Let me give you a bit of advice, loose the hair color, or we'll loose it for you. Don't come in looking like that tomorrow."

Azami noticed the teacher up front was busy with something. "Tell you what, nameless Baka, stop speaking to me and I won't kick your ass down the sidewalk all the way home."

"You're gonna be sorry," the girl snapped, then got up and left.

.

Other than a few kids casting her strange looks, the rest of the day went all right. Azami noticed everyone here was rude, and the teachers weren't much better. One boy who clad himself all in black and wore dark eyeshadow, sat across from Azami at lunch, staring at her.

Azami put up with this briefly, then said, "I'm Azami Aono. Who are you?"

Holding his blank expression, he said, "I am Dennis ... of the dark."

Anna tapped Azami's knee. "Don't, he's a weirdo," she whispered.

Dennis flicked his eyes at Anna. "A non-believer. Do you believe, Azami?"

"In what?"

"In the darkness, in souls who thrive better at night, than in the blinding sun."

Despite Dennis' somber tone, Azami chuckled at him. "Yeah, I've seen them," she agreed. "They are the weakest, poor excuse for beings I've ever met." Leaning closer, she added, "And if you ever saw a real one I bet you would run home to mommy so fast your feet would catch fire."

Anna burst out laughing.

Dennis' mouth dropped open. "Your name is ... Aono?"

"That's right, Azami Aono."

"You know Moka Aono?" he asked.

"I should, she gave birth to me," Azami stated.

Dennis' eyes widened.

"Eat your lunch, Dennis, you're human. We both know it," Azami told him.

"Yes, Mistress," Dennis replied with a squeak in his voice.

.

After lunch Anna had biology, Azami split off for science. The science room was split off into three person desks. Azami's seat was between a geek boy in glasses and one of the pink haired girls. Azami looked at her text book, it seemed to be the same type of science text, but in English.

"Hi, I'm Ben," the boy said meekly.

"Azami," Azami told him. The girl on the other side glanced at her. Azami eye her and asked, "I'm Azami."

The girl cast her a deer in the headlights look. "I'm not suppose to talk to you," she said nervously.

"Why is that?"

"Carol said you made fun of us and Moka. She said you have to be taught a lesson."

"You have a Moka at this school?" Azami asked.

"No. Moka Aono, our goddess."

Azami giggled at her and asked, "Goddess? Do you have any idea who I am?"

The girl shook her head.

"Azami Aono. Your goddess is my mother."

The girl's nose flared. "Impossible. Moka Aono is the Supreme Vampire Goddess," she stated.

"That would be Akasha, my grandmother. Moka is mine and Akemi's mother. You should learn your facts before making your goddesses," Azami said.

The girl snapped her head forward and said, "Please don't talk to me, we're enemies."

"Whatever," Azami grumbled.

"I'd like to be your friend," Ben said, casting Azami a blush.

"I'd like that," Azami told him with a grin.

They talked briefly then the teacher came in and gave a summary of what they would be doing for the year, then passed out some information sheets and gave a short lecture. Azami went onto her next class with Ben staying by her until he had to leave her at the door and go back to his next class.

Azami made it back to homeroom with no other altercations. She did note a couple pink haired girls peek their heads in at her. They were obviously taking great offense to her.

"Hey Azami," one of Anna's punkish boyfriends said from behind as he leaned over the desk. "Going home today, stick behind me and Anna. Those girls really got it in for you for some reason.

Hear they might try to jump you."

"Them?" Azami asked with a snort.

"Yeah, them. Look, there's six of them we know of. They're mean bitches too. One girl they caught, they shaved her head and stripped her. She was too scared to tell anyone who did it."

"They did huh?" Azami asked.

"Yeah, be careful."

Azami turned around and eyed him with a crooked grin. "Do me a favor, OK? Follow me out, and when they come for me, keep anyone from interfering."

The boy frowned at her. "Hey, this isn't a sporting match, these girls will be out for blood."

"Trust me, let no one see it or disturb us. I will show these girls their place," Azami said firmly.

The boy winced. "All right, if you're sure about this."

"Oh, I'm sure."

.

Leaving school, Azami walked beside Anna with her friends through a park. Spying a pink head peek out from behind a thick bush, Azami handed her books to Anna.

"Keep watch and let no one interfere," Azami told her. She then strode on alone. Azami walked along keeping her sense open. She passed two girls behind bushes, who fell into step behind her.

"We'll teach you to mock us!" one of the girls growled.

Two more girls appeared from trees to either side, just ahead. Azami let them all close until she was sure none would get away.

The girls in front of her reached out for her. Azami quick stepped in front of one, grabbed her by the shirt and flung her into her friend, taking the girl off her feet. As they collided, Azami jumped back and grabbed a girl following by her shirt, and spun her around into her friend. The front two were in a tangle on the ground, trying to get up. Azami raced over and ripped the top one's shirt loose from her jeans and pulled it over her head. A light knock with her knee to the girl's stomach sent her flying into the girl pile behind, knocking them down again. The lone girl now staring up at her in shock, Azami grabbed the middle of the girl's shirt, tearing it wide open, then pulled her up by the middle of her bra. Azami flung her in a half circle, snapping her bra. The girl flew and spun, landing face first into a tree.

Racing to the three girl pile, Azami went for one was getting up. Azami ripped her shirt, snapped her bra, grabbed her jean waist band and tore that in half, then used the loose cloth to throw her into a hedge brush she'd been hiding behind. The second one getting up turned to run. Azami was on her fast, again ripping her clothes with a flurry of speed, then tossed her straight down the path with her jeans around her ankles and panties aflutter on the wind.

The last girl gapped in disbelief at Azami from the ground with saucer eyes.

Azami grin a wicked grin. "Will you learn your place?" she mussed.

The girl crab-crawled backwards, trying to get away. "I'm sorry," she cried in a whine.

"You are. One of the sorriest things I've ever seen," Azami agreed. "So, big shot, aren't you going to do something to me?"

"No, I'm sorry," the girl cried, then quickly turned to scramble up.

Azami raced forward and grabbed her by an ankle. She pulled, flinging the girl in a circle three feet off the ground. The girl wailed in terror as Azami made one more circle with her, then aimed for the pond, and flung her away. Pealing out a screech, then girl landed in the marshy pond with a splash.

"Uhghh," the girl in the bush grunted out in pain as she tumbled free.

Azami raced over and grabbed a handful of hair on the back of the girl's head. "Oh, we're not done yet," Azami chided and hauled the girl upright. "What did you do to that one girl? You stripped her naked, didn't you?"

Flailing, the girl screamed, "LET ME GO, BITCH!"

Azami kicked the girl's feet out from under her and tossed her face down. The girls' head made a respectable 'thunk' off the sidewalk. The girl screamed in pain, Azami pulled her jeans off. One foot stuck. Azami hauled her upside down and shook her free. The girl curled up, covering her head as she cried.

"BITCH!" The naked girl with the brush burns screamed as she got up. She grabbed a decent sized stick and charged Azami. Azami grabbed the cowering girl in front of her by an ankle and flung her in an arc, right at the girl charging her. The girls collided and fell in a heap.

"Have you learned your place yet?" Azami asked as she strolled towards them.

The girl that had face planted against the tree, got up and ran holding her bleeding face. The injured and naked girl with the big knot on her forehead also ran with a screaming cry. The one who had planned on hitting Azami with a stick, thought better of trying it again, and took off. Azami gave her a light kick in the behind to knock her face first onto the sidewalk, The girl scrambled her way back up and fled.

Azami scanned the area, and noticed a pink head to the side, low to the ground through another bush. Walking around behind the bush, the girl hiding snapped her head up, fear showing openly in her eyes. It was the girl from her science class.

"You're my enemy, right?" Azami asked.

"No, please!" the girl cried and scrambled off on all fours for a few yards before getting her feet under her to race away. Azami let her go.

Walking back to the walkway, Azami noted Anna staring at her. Behind Anna, her boyfriend wore a look of shock. Azami walked up to them and asked, "That is what they did to that other girl?"

"Ahhh, yeah," the boy said as he stared at her.

Azami took her books back from Anna and said, "Let me know if they try something like that again."

"You really are a bad-ass, aren't you?" Anna asked.

Azami shrugged and said, "I just wanted to teach them a lesson. If I was serious, they would never have seen me coming." In a complete shift, Azami smiled and asked, "Hey, we got time before your mom gets home. Wanna go see Harry?"

.

Walking home, Anna was quiet, thoughtfully flicking her eyes at Azami. Upon first seeing Azami, Anna thought she was strange looking. Her hair and eye color could be passed off as albinoism, her ramrod straight way of walking and her attitude could be passed of as arrogance. Unlike many other girls who put on airs of being 'tough', Azami was also pleasant. That was until she was pushed. Note to self: don't screw with Azami.

Anna had never seen anything like what Azami had done to those five girls. Azami had no weapon, she didn't even throw a single punch or kick, yet she had totally humiliated five 'tough' girls at once. Never had Anna seen such overwhelming speed and strength outside of those overblown action movies. Add to that the comments of those people who had come to give Azami gifts during dinner, Anna was sure there was more to Azami that anyone realized. People just didn't come up and offer gifts and call a school girl 'highness' and 'Majesty'. Even weird Dennis 'of the dark' changed his tune when Azami told him who she was.

Harry Dresden's jeep was in their driveway when they returned home. Anna noted Azami's joy at seeing the beat-up old klunker. Anna let Azami race ahead and go in, calling for Harry. Anna went in and greeted Harry, then went to her room. She had some research to do.

.

"Where's Bob?" Azami asked as she went in the living room with Harry.

Flopped down in the couch, Harry said, "Bob is doing some research while I babysit you and Anna until Murphy gets home."

"Oh darn," Azami complained, and sat on the coffee table in front of Harry. "So, did you bring anything cool, like your wand?"

Harry pointed to the corner by the door into the living room. Azami looked but didn't see it. Scrutinizing the cubby, she asked, "Where is it? All I see are a couple umbrellas and an old hockey stick."

"Hey, me and my hockey stick have been through a lot together," Harry said indignantly.

Azami stared at Harry. "You're kidding," she said flatly.

"I'm sorry it is not an impressive bauble on a polished wood cane," Harry said with a frown, "But it is mine, and it works."

Azami tried to imagine Harry standing and wielding powerful magic brandishing his worn old hockey stick, and fell into a fit of laughter. Doubling over, she held her belly and flopped down on the table, lost in mirth. A mental picture of Ruby, looking powerful and elegant in her lace and leather, pigtails drifting in the breeze as she wielded her ornate and carefully crafted wand versus Harry in his scruffy overcoat and old hockey stick, caused her to laugh so hard she was loosing her breath. On her back, she kicked her feet as tears came to her eyes.

"I'm glad my staff causes you such amusement," Harry said, frowning at her as she kicked her legs in mirth. Harry got up and held out his hand as he looked the other way. "Sit up Princess, your panties are showing."

Still pealing out gasping chuckles, Azami took his hand and sat up. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's... just," she gasped and tried to get control of herself. "I mean, Aunt Ruby's wand is so elegant, and Mama Yukari's is so pretty ... and your's is so ..." Stopping to let out a snort, she then burst out with another chuckle. "Ohh, Harry, you are so funny!"

"Hey, that hockey stick has seen me through some tough spots," Harry said firmly. "And it's not like I can carry some decorated staff around. It would draw too much attention."

Azami finally noted Harry was upset. She took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. "OK, Harry," she said and drew on another calming breath. "I'm sorry, it's ... I've never seen anything like that used for magic. Maybe I can pick up a stick somewhere and use it," she mussed, then started giggling again.

Harry ignored her. Glancing out the window, he noted a dark shape duck away from the window. "Stay inside," he said. Striding towards the door, he reached out and drew his hockey stick to him. He went through the front door in time to see someone duck around the corner. Harry gave chase.

Azami calmed herself and ran out after Harry. She followed him around the corner of the house, then stopped as she saw him standing still, searching the area. "Well?" she asked.

"Looked like a kid," Harry said as he came back. He then asked,"You didn't have any trouble in school today, did you?"

"Not really. A few girls thought they were tough, I taught them a lesson," Azami admitted.

Harry stopped and stared at her. "What kind of lesson?" he asked with a wince.

Azami shrugged and said, "They wanted to beat up the new girl, so I roughed them up a bit, stripped their clothes off them and send them running away crying."

Harry shook his head, looking like he wanted to cry. "Azami, no one can know about you," je said, looking stressed.

"It's not like I told them anything," she countered.

Harry rubbed his head and asked, "How many?"

"Four."

"Anyone see?"

"No, Anna and her friends kept other people away."

"Did Anna see?"

Azami nodded. "Yeah, she and her boyfriend came to check on me, I think."

"Great," Harry grumbled. Looking frustrated, he said, "Not again, OK? People start asking questions, and pretty soon Ancient Mai will be asking me painful questions. I really don't need that."

"Sorry," Azami offered. Casting Harry an impish grin, she added, "And your hockey stick is cool."

Harry frowned and looked up at the sun. "Murphy should be home on time today, what do you say we conjure up dinner for her?"

"Not with the hockey stick, right?"

.

Azami found Harry knew his way around the kitchen. The dinner wasn't anything fancy, just spaghetti, meat sauce, baked Italian bread with a garlic butter sauce on it that Azami gagged at, so Harry made some with no garlic on it for her.

Azami noticed Harry could do small 'bits' of magic, like when he'd drawn the hockey stick to him, and a snap of his fingers to light a candle. "Harry, you do have some yokai energy, don't you?" she asked.

Harry offered Azami a smile and set the bowl of sauce down on the table. "We really can't discuss that here," he said.

"You're so boring," Azami grumbled.

"I'm keeping us out of trouble," Harry countered.

Anna arrived in the dinning room and eyed the spread. "Wow, I thought I smelled food."

"Almost ready," Harry said with a smile. "Your mom should be home in a few minutes, have a seat."

Anna slid into a seat. She watched Azami put the spaghetti bowl down, then retrieve the basket of garlic bread. Anna also noticed a small chunk of bread Azami put beside her plate. "Don't like garlic bread?" she asked.

"Too strong," Azami explained.

Harry's phone rang. "Dresden ... OK, what's the address? ... We were making dinner, I'll be right there ... I'll tell them, be there shortly." Closing his phone up he looked at the girls and said, "I have to go. Anna, your mom said to go ahead with dinner, we'll be back as soon as we can."

Azami frowned and asked, "What happened?"

"Don't worry about it," Harry said, grabbing his coat. "Stay in the house ... both of you."

.

In what used to be a living room in a normal suburban home was now something out of a horror story. the middle of the floor sported a white painted circle now interrupted with a few knocked over candles and splotches of blood. To one side was the body of a dark clad woman who's head lay staring sightlessly at the rest of her body a few feet away. Tendrils of neck muscle trailed out from the stumps.

Detective Murphy frowned at the large red puddle extending from the body's neck to an unleveled spot on the floor. "That is a lot of tomato juice," she commented.

Detective Kirmani cracked a grin and asked, "Tomato juice?"

"What?" Murphy asked, looking for a clear path to the head. Buy the rough neck stump, it didn't look to be a clean cut.

"You called the blood, tomato juice," he said. "It's not like you to joke."

Murphy cast him a scowl. "Since when is a murder scene a joke? Now see if we can find a weapon, and try not to step in the tomato juice." Right after the words left her mouth, she realized what she'd said. Why was she calling blood, tomato juice?

Kirmani raised his eyebrows at her. "OK, then," he said evenly. "I suppose Dresden is on his way."

Murphy nodded at the circle on the floor. "He can get clues from stuff like this. I can't see any signs of the perp. She must have been attacked from behind. I see no signs of a struggle."

"Hmm," Kirmani mussed. Squatting down a few feet from the head, he said, "Piece of neck bone sticking out. The skin and the muscle is torn, this was no knife. It's almost like her head was pulled off. But what did it? There is no obvious sign of a struggle."

Murphy was still puzzling over her 'tomato juice' comment. Why had she said that? "We need a full set of pictures, bag every item on the floor, noting position," she said. Murphy got a good initial look at the scene, then went out to talk to the Officers who responded to the call. Harry showed up.

The responding officer held out his notepad as he went over scenario. "Mr. Hatcher came home from work at five fifty three and found his wife dead on the floor. He's over there in the ambulance now. Says he walked in, saw her body, then called the police from the doorway. He didn't look through the house, he was too upset. We found him right where he said he'd stayed. The neighbor over there confirmed he didn't go in. We searched the inside and found no intruders or signs of forced entry. Except for the front door, doors and windows were locked. Nothing out of the ordinary other than in the living room."

Murphy tipped her head back into the house. "Dresden, we got a dead woman beside one of those circles. I hope you can tell us something."

"I'll do what I can," Harry told her.

Going inside, Harry focused first on the magic circle. By the runes, she'd been summoning a demon. By the knocked over candles, it had broken confinement. By the headless woman, it had killed her when it escaped. It had to suck to be her. He squatted down and studied the runes closer.

"Decapitation was not clean or quick. Can you tell me how her head came off?" Murphy asked.

Harry knew what happened, the demon had ripped the poor woman's head off. "Well it wasn't a guillotine," he mussed. "Something blunt that exerted a very hard pulling force." Looking at the blood on the floor, he noticed it had not been disturbed. The demon had been careful not to leave any signs of itself behind.

"Can you tell us something we don't know," Murphy asked heavily.

"Not yet," Harry said honestly. Straightening back up, he noted all the cops around. He'd have to come back later. There was a demon on the loose, and he had to find it.

"Coroner's here for the body," Kirmani announced.

.

Azami watched Anna fill her plate and start eating. "We aren't going to wait for them?" she asked.

Anna shook her head. "Mom works really late sometimes," she said in a dull tone. "May as well eat while it's hot."

"That's a shame," Azami mussed. After a pause, she asked, "Pardon my asking, but is that one of the reasons your parents aren't together?"

Anna left out a snort. "You could say that. That and the fact my Dad is an idiot."

Azami winced. "That's not very nice."

"Well, he is," Anna insisted. "He doesn't think before he does something, and he doesn't let anyone know what he's doing until the last minute! Mom used to get so pissed at him. She still does, and he deserves it! Just like we had no idea you were coming until the day your plane arrived. I mean, come on, a little notice would have been nice."

"Sorry to hear that," Azami offered.

Waving her fork at Azami, Anna asked, "What about your Dad? With all your brothers and sisters and mothers, do you even see him very often?"

"Every day," Azami replied. "We're all busy, if it's not school or ... something else. Yeah, we don't spend a lot of time together, but we do make a point to spend meals and events together, we're all there. Like for birthdays, Kashiro and Kaiyo come home from Yokai academy and spend the day with the rest of us."

"So, you all do live together? Your house must be huge. How can your Dad afford it?"

"We get by OK. Gramma Ageha, Grandpa Koji, Grandpa Apollo and Grandpa Issa helped my Papa and Momma's get started, and they do fine with everything they have going on," Azami explained.

"That's good," Anna said with a smile. In the same offhand manner, she asked, "Do you have any human grandparents?"

"Yes, Grandpa Koji and Gramma..." Azami then paused and eyed Anna. "Why did you ask that?"

Anna cast Azami a tiny grin. "I've been listening a little closer than Mom has, I think," she said. "I asked about you being a goth, pretending to be a vampire or undead. You told me you don't pretend. Those people, calling you highness and majesty. You told Dennis that those who dwell in the dark are weak, but he would run so fast his feet would catch fire, if he saw one. You are very confident you can 'show people their place'. Like those other pink haired girls. You move so fast you're a blur, your strength is incredible. You also pretty much killed that thermos of blood that lady gave you." Anna then looked right at Azami and said, "The only Aono family I could find in Japan live on Witch Hill, and they are all what's called 'Yokai'. The Japanese term for monster, or vampire. That is what you are, right?"

Azami nodded. "Yokai actually means 'spirit', but the more common term is applied to mean monster. And yes, a vampire is a type of yokai," she explained.

"So, you don't deny it."

Azami shrugged. "I have no reason to. I am what I am, a Shinso vampire. At home, everyone proudly admits to what they are. Here, Mr. Dresden and his friends seem to think they can keep everyone in the dark about non-humans. It is a house of cards that is doomed to collapse, and collapse hard."

"Those girls today, you could have killed them all, couldn't you?"

"I am capable," Azami agreed. "But that would not have been justice, would it?"

Anna grinned at Azami and said, "I'm surprised you didn't like, drink their blood."

Azami let out a snort. "I don't even like them. I don't want their blood in my veins," she said with a wince.

"You are not what I would expect a real-life vampire to be like," Anna said appraisingly. "You're much more ... realistic."

"Is that a good thing?" Azami asked, not sure what she meant.

"I mean honorable and fair," Anna explained.

"Thank you, I try."

They had they dinner talking about family and school. When they were done, Azami figured Anna already knew about her, so she stood up, waved her hand above her head and caught the brass pan that fell. She put it on the table and explained, "As long as I am holding it, it will stay. We can put our dishes in it, I'll take them to the kitchen."

Anna shook her head saying, "You, girl, are full of surprises."

"Yeah, but don't tell anyone, OK? Mr. Dresden will get really mad at me," Azami told her.

"He's really a wizard?" Anna asked.

Azami laughed and said, "Yeah, but wait until I tell you about what he uses for a staff..."

.

It was late by the time Murphy got home. She went inside to see a plate of spaghetti and meat sauce wrapped with plastic wrap on the counter, and a half of garlic bread beside it. She also saw a note beside the plate.

_Mom, We did the dishes and cleaned up the house. Here's dinner, just pop it in the microwave. BTW – Azami is really cool. Please, if you ever think you are in danger, take her with you. Don't ask why, just do it for me._

_ Anna._

Murphy frowned at the note. She stuffed it in her pocket. She'd ask Anna about it later.


	23. Chapter 23

CH 62

In the early hours of the morning, Harry returned to the house with the police tape around it. He walked slowly around to the back to make sure no one was about, then used a bit of magic to open the lock on the back door and slipped inside.

Making his way to the living room, Harry peeked out the living room windows, the tapped the glass, casting a quick spell to black them out. Moving to the kitchen, he blacked those windows out also, then the glass in the front door, and turned the lights on.

On the floor, a few items had been taken from the magic circle and now instead of a body, a chalk outline lay on the floor. The blood was still there. Harry pulled out the scroll he brought and studied each rune. Yes, a demon had been summoned here. He put the scroll away, and dug out a bag of white powder.

Chanting an incantation, Harry sprinkled the powder out in the air over the circle. A strong activating word, and the powder formed a cloud, then settled into a tall figure. The man like thing had a pair of long cattle type horns on it's head, was big and muscular, and it's semi human face also bore a bovine look to it.

"Wonderful, we got a Hellion on the loose," Harry muttered. Bad tempered, able to shield their presence, and resistive to magic, Hellions were slippery and loved to temp their victim into evil before killing them so they got a ticket straight to the underworld. Just like the poor woman who'd summoned this one. He looked at the chalk outline and asked, "Now why would a housewife summon a Hellion?"

.

Azami got up early and drew a bath, sprinkling one packet of herbs in the water. Just to be careful, she tested the water with one finger. No tingle, it was safe. She was able to get in and relax for a while before she heard Mrs. Murphy's alarm clock go off.

By the time Mrs. Murphy was up and moving around, Azami was dressed for the day and hung her towel up to dry. She met a bleary-eyed Mrs. Murphy at the bathroom door as she came out.

"Morning," Azami chirped happily. "Coffee and breakfast?" she asked.

Murphy stared at her, not used to such questions. "Coffee first, black," she replied.

"Five minutes," Azami told her, and went down to make it.

Azami had a hot cup with a saucer under it waiting at the head of the table when Murphy came down in her housecoat, looking a little more awake.

Despite herself, Murphy smiled at the cup as she sat down. "Thank you. Come sit a minute."

Azami sat down by her. "Yes?"

"You don't have to do this," Murphy said, waving a hand at the cup. "I mean I do appreciate it, but you're a guest here, not a servant."

"I know," Azami agreed. "But you're doing something nice for me, so I thought I'd do something nice for you."

Murphy chuckled. "If only all children were like you," she mussed.

"Families help each other, right? If I'm going to be part of your family, then I should help," Azami stated.

Murphy offered her a smile and took a sip of her morning blood. "I'm making breakfast," Murphy told her, "If you can roust Anna out of bed, that will be help enough."

"OK..."

"Wait, not yet," Murphy told her and waved her back down. She dug in her pocket and produced Anna's note. "What can you tell me about this?"

Azami took the note and read it. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"Why did Anna ask me to take you with me if I feel I might be in danger?"

Azami shrugged and said hesitantly, "Because ... you'll be safer with someone with you?"

"You seemed to have taken a liking to Harry Dresden, is there a reason for that?"

Azami cracked a grin. "He's a nice guy, and he's funny."

Murphy returned her grin. "I agree he's a bit odd. It just seems like you two are on the same wavelength. He seems to be fond of you, also."

"I dunno. I guess some people you like, some you don't," Azami offered.

"True," Murphy mussed. She took another sip of her coffee, relishing the simple pleasure of coming downstairs to find it already made for her. "Go give Anna a shake if you would."

"Sure. Then can I help make breakfast?" Azami asked.

"You pushing for an allowance?' Muphy asked with a crooked grin.

"No, Papa make sure I have plenty of money. I just want to help," Azami told her.

.

The Pleasant Times tea club was an upscale looking restaurant on the first floor of a very residential looking building. Carpeted floors and living room style couches bracketing tables where patrons sat were served by young ladies in long skirted French Maid costumes. The checkout counter was discretely tucked into a corner. Every now and then, a male patron was guided in though a curtained entrance for more 'detailed' service in the rooms beyond.

Karyn Jensen ran this house of fine service. Through skill and charming, the pretty, full bodied woman with long, wavy dark brunette hair had built up a good business for both her clientèle and for the girls working here. Medium priced, and with a decently built 'bus boy' to help take care of any potential problems, Karyn kept everyone happy. She filtered through her clients personally. If a new man asked about tasting the 'sweet cakes', she was always the one who led him behind the curtain and up to a room first to determine if he was going to be a good customer. Most men were, all they wanted was some female attention with no strings attached. Cheat on the wife, get a good lay and bitch about the boss for a while, come in to spend an hour relaxing, things of that nature. If Karyn detected anything negative, such as a demeaning attitude or sadistic impulses, that was it. The man was shown the door and told not to come back. While she did have a couple clients who enjoyed 'bondage', this was kinky play for them, not anything with a truly mean intent.

Karyn was behind the counter, checking the afternoon work schedule, when Tina whispered, "Oh no, look who's back."

The man named Jack Hatcher came in. He looked around the room with an air of confidence. Locking eyes with Karyn, he strode over. Karyn new this guy all too well. He was a possessive snake.

Karyn snapped her fingers and got the bus boys' attention. She signaled for him to keep a watch on Jack.

"Hello, Kayrn," Jack said confidently.

"Jack, you're not suppose to be here," she said evenly.

Jack shrugged. "All that's changed, love. I'm a free man now."

Karyn rolled her eyes. "Good for you. Won't your wife get most of the divorce settlement?" she asked in a sweet / sarcastic tone.

Jack folded his arms and leaned on the counter. "She's not getting anything, except a burial."

Karyn eyed him closer. Yes, malevolence was present in him, and strong. "What happened?" she asked, already half knowing from the slimy feel she was getting from him. She did a quick wrist flip. Tiny knew what it meant, all girls not busy out to the back room. That was their 'ready to escape' spot for either an out of control client or police raid. The bus boy wandered toward them, keeping the corner of his eye on Jack and Karyn.

Jack offered her a greasy smile. "I got me a bit of influence, love. I'm taking what I want, and I want you."

"Out, Jack, now," Karyn said in a low growl.

Jack tipped his head. "You may want to think about that, love. If I leave here without you, it might not go so well for your place here."

"The lady said leave," The bus boy now behind him said firmly.

Jack cracked a brief smile. "I'll be back love, and when I do, you'll be next."

Karyn watched Jack saunter away, the Bus Boy right behind him.

"Karyn, everyone is ready except for Jill, she has a client," Tina said quietly.

Karyn nodded. "The back locked?"

"Yes, I'll check the windows," Tina said, and went back through the curtain.

Once Jack left, Karyn went to the windows and watched him walk down the street. Once she was satisfied he wasn't coming back, she gave the all clear.

Getting back to business, Karyn noted someone come in. She wasn't watching, but felt a presence. Turning, she saw a rough faced, solid football player type stride in. In passing the busboy, the man swung his fist hard and fast. The bus boy recoiled with the audible punch, flying back into a table. The rough man then strode towards Karyn. Karyn didn't know what this was, but it was no man. She ran. "Nine one one!" she screamed at Tina. Tina quickly dialed the number.

Karyn dove through the curtain and shut the doors to the hallway just beyond. She just got the double-latching deadbolts locked when the doors rattled. Karyn ran for the back door. Behind her, the hallway doors exploded into kindling. A client emerged from the room. Karyn heard him yell, then scream. She fled out the back and kept going as fast as her feet would take her.

.

Azami had a good day at school. Only one pink haired girl showed up, the girl from her science class. They agreed to be non-enemies and even work on projects together. The geek boy, Dan, was very pleasant to her, and Dennis was no longer of the dark, though he did want to serve Azami in some way. She told him he had to improve his intelligence through schoolwork and wisdom, then he would be suitable.

If anything, people tended to be respectful to Azami and maintain their distance. According to one of Anna's friends, word was out about what happened to the pink girl squad. Whispers went around about Azani being a female 'Bruce Lee'. Although some were skeptical, no one wanted to test her and find themselves beaten up and stripped like one girl there was a net picture floating around of.

After school, Harry wasn't at the house, so Azami went to see him. Taking a cab to Harry's place, Azami knocked on the door and waited patiently. She could sense Bob, and another yokai inside. Harry came to the door, looking confused.

Sticking his head out, Harry asked, "Azami? What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," she announced. "Bob too!" she called inside.

Harry looked out at the street then swung the door open and pulled her in, shutting it quickly behind her.

"Who is that?" a pretty Brunette woman back towards a corner asked with wide eyes. She sank further into the corner as she eyed Azami.

Waving his hand in a fast introduction, Harry said, "Azami, Kayrn, Karyn, Azami. No one's out there, Karyn. You can relax."

Seeing Karyn eyeing her fearfully, Azami studied her. "You're a yokai too, what are you afraid of?"

Karyn swallowed. Meekly she said, 'The one who's after me feels much like you do. Only ... darker."

Azami looked at Harry. Harry shrugged and explained, "She can read auras' I think. Anyway, there is a demon after her. I am pretty sure this is one I've been looking for. It's a Hellion, a nasty piece of work."

"Hellion," Azami mussed. "Sorry, never heard of it."

"Tall, cowish head, big ugly dude," Harry said.

"A minotaur?" Azami asked.

"Minotaur from hell," Harry clarified.

"And what are you?" Azami asked Karyn.

"I'm just ... me," Karyn said sheepishly.

"You're saying you don't know," Azami concluded. Studying Karyn closely, Azami mussed, "I think you're part succubus. That's what you feel like, anyway."

"She's a demon too?" Harry asked, eyeing Karyn.

"Partly, anyway, why is there a minotaur after her?"

In a stressed yell, Karyn burst out with, "It's Jack, I know it! He came into my place and threatened me, then that thing showed up and it's after me!"

"Jack who?" Harry asked.

"Jack Hatcher. He said he killed his wife and he wants me."

"So Mrs. Hatcher didn't summon that demon," Harry mussed. "Her husband set it up so she would be killed."

"You're going after him?" Azami asked.

"Murphy is certainly not going to prove in court he summoned a demon to kill his wife," Harry said with grunt.

Feeling something behind her, Azami turned to the door.

"It's HERE!" Karyn cried.

Azami watched as a figure appeared as it opened the door. The runes Harry had around the door frame glowed brightly, then shot out sparks. The man morphed into the ugliest minotar Azami had ever seen. It strode towards her. Azami kicked it in the chest hard. The minotar flew back out the door to land in the street. It got up and disappeared.

Not believing it left, Azami went to the doorway and searched for it. It was gone. She turned back to see Karyn scrunched down in the corner with Harry in front of her, brandishing his hockey stick.

"What was that?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

Azami shrugged and said, "I kicked him. Apparently, he didn't want to stay and fight."

Harry shook his finger at her. "No, no, no," he admonished. "That was a Hellion. You just don't kick a Hellion and make them go away. What. Was. That?"

"OK, so I used some of my yokai power," Azami admitted. "He looked serious, so I got serious. He's gone, isn't he?"

Bob appeared to the side, which made Karyn belt out a scream.

"Hi, Mr. Bainbridge," Azami said, casting him a smile and waving.

Bob put on a big smile. "Good day your Majesty," he said with a bow. "It appears you arrived in time to save Harry's bacon. Excellent timing, if I do say so."

"Bob? You knew she could do that?" Harry asked.

Bob cast Harry a look like he was teaching a child. "Harry, her Majesty is a Shinso Vampire. I don't think you appreciate what that means. There is very little that can stand up to the likes of her Majesty. She is holding herself in, Harry. If she were to reveal her power to us, You would probably faint from fear, and our guest may very well have a heart attack, just from being in her presence. That demon knew it was outclassed. That is why it ran."

Harry glanced at Azami, then back to Bob. "She can do that?"

"Dear boy, why do you think I, and even Ancient Mai take pains to be respectful around her? She deserves it, Harry. If all she requires for us ... lower beings to be in her presence is to show her respect, don't you think she deserves it?"

Harry blinked and looked at Azami. "And she's only thirteen?"

"Fourteen in a couple weeks," Azami said pointedly.

"We'll throw a party," Harry said blankly.

"I like parties," Azami said, beaming him a smile.

The phone rang. Harry dug it out of his coat and answered it. "Dresden... Yes, Murphy I've got news. Apparently Mr. Hatcher did kill his wife, and I have a witness right here who he admitted it to ... Yes, he was after her and we've got her here, safe ... right, we'll be expecting them."

Harry put his phone away and looked at Azami again. "Umm, your Majesty, could you stay until the police come collect Karyn?" he asked.

Azami nodded and said, "Harry you can use my name, as can you, Mr. Bainbridge."

"OK, and after, would you come with me to track that demon down?" Harry asked.

"Sure, I haven't had a good fight in a while. Let's try to make sure he doesn't get away again. He's been hurting people," Azami said in a more serious tone.

.

Detective Kirmani arrived with two policemen to pick Kayrn up. Sniffing the air, he glanced at the burnt remains of the protection runes and frowned at Harry. "Spell misfire, Mr. Wizard?" he asked with a grin.

Harry cleared his throat. "Miss Jensen is right here, she's the witness," he said, indicating Karen who was sitting by Azami.

"You heard Mr. Hatcher state he killed his wife?" Detective Kirmani asked.

Karyn nodded. "He said he buried her, and I was next."

"Good enough to bring him in," Detective Kirmani stated. "OK, we'll take you into protective custody, just come with these men..."

"Officer?" Karyn asked quickly. "Can she come with me?" she asked, pointing to Azami.

"And you are?" Kirmani asked.

"Azami Aono."

Kirmani frowned at her and asked, "Aren't you the girl Murphy is looking after?"

"Yes. At the moment, I'm helping Harry." Azami told him. To Karyn, she said, "It's OK to go with them. I have to stay with Harry."

"But, you can stop that thing!" Karyn complained.

"He'll be coming after us, you'll be OK," Azami assured her.

Reluctantly, Karyn got up and went out the the police car. Azami watched them pull away, then turned to Harry and said, "I can sense that demon. You get me close, and I'll make sure he goes away."

.

"She's WHERE?" Murphy cried into the phone outside the motel. The police tape was up, and two dead officers lay on the pavement. Their suspect, Jack Hatcher was gone and now she found out Azami wasn't home, but going out with Harry to find this murderer. "DO you know where they are? ... Then FIND THEM!" She then spun on Kirmani. "You left Azami with Dresden?" she asked in a near screech.

"Hey, I thought he was babysitting," Kirmani replied defensively. "The witness wanted her to come, she said she had to stay and help him."

Glaring at Kirmani, Murphy growled, "We have a serial murderer here who doesn't care who he kills. If anything happens to Azami, it's your ass!"

"We got Hatcher!" an officer called from beside his car. "Warehouse down by the waterfront, he was seen going in. One car is watching and waiting for backup."

"All right, let's go get him. Call SWAT, I don't want this bastard getting away!" Murphy yelled back.

.

Azami was holding the tracking crystal and concentrating on the feel of the demon as Harry drove. They were nearing the waterfront. Harry kept glancing over to be sure they were headed in the right direction.

"Right turn!" Azami said as the crystal swung to point out her window. She then noticed flashing red and blue lights down the street they passed.

"I see, looks like we've got an audience," Harry noted.

"Get us as close as you can," Azami coaxed. "We can't let the presence of others stop us."

Harry turned down the next street. "Mai is not gonna like this," he grumbled. He slowed at the next street, noting police cars blocking the intersection back to where they wanted to go. He drove on towards the docks. "I got an idea," he said.

Slowing to a crawl, Harry noticed a warehouse yard gate open. He drove in and crept along the waterfront. Azami perked up and put the crystal aside and said, "Harry, I can feel him. A couple buildings down."

"Cops will be down there," Harry warned.

"I'll take the rooftops. If you can get in behind them, do it. Wait for me before you do anything. If you can't, try to find Mrs. Murphy and protect her," Azami said, then leaped from the jeep. She jumped in an impossible bound up onto the roof.

Harry stopped and grabbed his hockey stick. Looking up at where she went, he said, "I think I'm gong to have a neck ache from that pike Mai's gonna stick me on."

.

Murphy was in full protective gear with a full squad of SWAT in front of them, taking cover and watching their fields of fire as they entered the warehouse. Outside, the building was ringed with police, all searching for their target. Walking slowly and watching their surroundings, Murphy noted there wasn't much here to hide behind, except towards the back of the building. Snipers outside had the tall stacks of boxes there covered.

The warehouse doors screeched shut with a bang. Several people including Murphy swung back, expecting to see whoever had shut the doors. No one was there.

"Drop your weapons, and I'll let you live!" a voice called out.

Murphy announced, "Jack Hatcher! Come out with your hands over your head! You are surrounded, there is no escape!"

A laugh echoed through the warehouse. "Wrong, YOU are surrounded!"

"Nut job. He's in the back, center," a SWAT member said.

"Spread out, find him," came another radio call.

To Murphy's right a SWAT member let out a short cry, then his head tore loose from his body. The body spurted blood as it fell. Searching over her sights, Murphy didn't see anyone by him.

"Officer down!"

Another SWAT member was launched by nothing and flew through the air to hit a roof strut high overhead and tumble to the floor.

"What the FU..!"

There was a crunching sound and another officer collapsed with a crushed helmet.

"Back to the doors! Secure the ...AHHHH!" The leader's head turned in a half circle, he fell dead.

The two remaining SWAT backed towards the doors with Murphy as maniacal laughter echoed through the cavernous room.

"Extraction, we need extraction!" Murphy called on her radio. "Get those doors open!"

Another Officer let out an 'oof' as something hit him. He flew back to slam into the doors and slump down limp. Murphy thought she saw a shadow in front of him. She shot. There was a flickering that headed for the last officer, who shot at the apparition. The flickering ran right up and a ghostly arm whipped out to hit him in the head so hard, his helmet shattered.

Murphy stayed on target emptying her rifle at the shimmering thing. It turned and strode towards her. Backing up, her gun clicked empty. Heart beating wildly in her chest, Murphy threw the rifle down and drew her revolver. She snapped up for a shot as something dropped in front of her.

**BANG**

The next half second lasted a lifetime for Murphy. In front of her Azami had appeared facing away from her, and was punched from the bullet striking her shoulder. In what seemed suspended time, Azami stumbled and looked back at Murphy with blazing red eyes. Murphy swore she saw fangs in the girl's mouth. Azami then turned back and charged the thing with a terrifying wail. Between the shock of what was already happening, seeing Azami and shooting her, Murphy's mind froze. She passed out.

Azami took the wound and charged the minotar from hell. Getting shot made her angry, she let her full yokai power come forth as she planted a kick right in the middle of the Minotar's face. Even as it tumbled backwards, Azami hit it again from below, catapulting it up into a spin. A timed leap, and she contacted it with another hard foot as the head passed low, kicking it in the opposite direction. She felt a satisfying snap as it's head bend back.

Dropping down, Azami hit the floor the same time as the minotar. Racing to it, she grabbed a leg and lifted it over her head in an arch to slam it into the floor, making concrete bits fly and creating a crater from the impact and making the building shudder. Another lift and slam, and more concrete and a horn splattered from the strike. Spying a steel support beam, Azami flung the minotar in a circle, and used it's head to knock the steel beam out from it's foundation with a loud explosion of metal and concrete.

Hoping that was enough to knock it senseless, Azami slammed it into the floor again, then leaped up onto the back of it's head. Wrapping her legs around it's neck, she wrapped her arms under it's chin and pulled. The minotar roared and grabbed at her briefly. From farther in the warehouse, a bright light, like lightning flashed. The minotar disappeared. Azami's limbs snapped her backwards from the sudden lack of pull. She felt the presence of the minotar fade. It was gone.

Azami got up to check on Mrs. Murphy.

"Azami?" Harry called from the back. "You all right?"

"Yeah, go! I'll deal with it, get out of here," she called back.

"There's cops outside looking to kill something, I don't wanna get shot!" Harry called back.

"Come here then," Azami told him. She then hoped Ancient Mai was telling the truth about assisting her and called, "Mai, I need you!"

Azami had no more that taken a couple steps, nursing her aching shoulder when Ancient Mai appeared. Seeing the bodies and the blood coming from Azami's wound, Mai's face first showed surprise, then twisted into a hard glare as she saw Harry approaching.

"Mai, listen!" Azami barked, causing Mai's head to turn back to her. "Long story short! A man raised a demon, Harry found him. The police tried to catch him, they died, I got the demon, Harry got the man. That woman passed out, saw nothing important. I need to get her and Harry out of here with no one seeing. We're surrounded by police."

Mai shelved her anger and bowed. "As you wish, Princess," she said in a forced even tone. "Hold onto me and be quiet, we can walk out."

Azami ran over and scooped up Murphy into a bride's carry. Mai put a hand on her uninjured shoulder. Harry came over and put a hand on Mai's shoulder.

Sounds outside told of people working to get the doors open. Mai stood to the side and let them. Once a torch cut a large hole in the doors, more metal was ripped away and armored men came in, ignoring them. After the men ran in, Mai walked out, steering her charges around the police and all their vehicles. Once they were behind the chaos, Azami whispered, "Let me put Mrs. Murphy down."

Azami laid Mrs. Murphy down behind a car, then the three walked away. On the way, Azami told Mai how brave Harry had been, and how well her served her. Although it didn't look like Mai was happy, she did stop eyeing Harry like she wanted to kill him.

.

Upon Harry driving Azami home, she went upstairs, changed, bandaged the remains of the hole from the bullet and came back down to start a late supper with Anna. Thankfully, Harry let her get a sip from him before he left. She was feeling a bit hungry, and tomato juice wasn't going to do it this time.

Azami was sure they'd gotten away with it. Mrs. Murphy came home late, wrung out, and hugged Azami in relief. Azami hugged her back, hiding a wince as her wounded shoulder was squeezed.

"Hey, we got dinner ready," Azami said cheerfully. "You OK?"

"Yes, it's just been a real ... strange day," Murphy said, satisfied Azami was here, and not battling some freakish thing in a dockside warehouse. Her head felt like it was split open, but seeing Azami here and well made her feel relieved. She had a dozen unanswered questions, including how she woke up outside the warehouse. Those could wait. They got their man, no one else was gong to die.

Sitting down to a normal activity, Murphy ate with the girls then went up to use the bathroom. Upon entering, she noticed clothing on the floor. She picked it up. It was Azami's., OK, she thought, Azami wasn't the perfect child.

Murphy then noticed a tomato juice stain on the shoulder of the shirt. Around a small hole. In a flash, she saw Azami in the warehouse, recoiling from the shot, and glancing back to look at her with glowing red eyes and fangs in her mouth. It was the same shirt she'd been wearing in the nightmare.

Murphy shook her head. No, that was a dream she'd had when she was knocked out. No kid would shrug off a bullet to the shoulder like that. It had to be tomato juice.


	24. Chapter 24

CH 63

Murphy stood in the warehouse with her revolver drawn. She'd just fired. Azami was in front of her, looking back over her shoulder. The shoulder Murphy had just put a bullet in. Azami's glowing red eyes casting her a gaze that asked, 'what was that for?'. The girl's mouth open far enough that Murphy saw a long fang hanging below her upper lip.

Murphy awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed and panting from the combined fear of being in the warehouse with that thing, and what she'd done. She wiped her sweaty face with a hand as she tried to get control of her gasping breaths. Even though the police psychologist told her all about the nightmare being a product of her fears, Murphy had a gut feeling she had shot a child. She'd put a bullet in a school girl's back.

Murphy burst out in a sob. It couldn't be true! Azami had been home when she got here. If Azami had been shot, then why was she here and eating dinner like normal, and not in the hospital with part of her shoulder blow away?

The bloody shirt was in her hands.

No, that was a tomato juice stain on the back of her right shoulder!

Right where Murphy had shot her. Right where the bullet hole was.

Aching to know the real answer, Murphy flung the covers back and got up. Tossing on a robe, Murphy went down to the laundry room and looked at the shirt again. There was the hole. That was a bloodstain on Azami's shirt. Blood, not tomato juice. Her heart went in her throat as she realized it hadn't been a nightmare, she had shot Azami.

Gripping the shirt, Murphy ran to the bathroom. Digging in the garbage, she found the remains of bandage packing. In the bottom, she also found a 9MM slug.

"Oh my god," Murphy whispered. This was a different kind of nightmare. This was proof she had shot a child in the back. Questions flew through Murphy's mind. How did Azami get there, manage to get shot and get back home? Those warehouse doors had been shut. The paramedics found Murphy outside, an impossibility. Just like Azami even being there.

Her mind was spinning with a mix of denial and hard evidence. Sitting on the floor with her back against the door jab, Murphy gazed at the evidence in her hands. The bloody shirt, the bandage packing, the bullet out of her gun. The only one she'd fired. She'd pulled the trigger in the warehouse, and the bullet ended up here, at home in her bathroom. An impossibility, but the evidence was in her hands.

A soft noise caught her attention. Azami, half asleep was doing a zombie-shuffle as she came down the hall. Her face scrunching up in a wince, she moved and flexed her right arm. A wide yawn exposed Azami's teeth briefly. Even the fanged ones. Azami came close, then stopped, just noticing Murphy sitting on the floor.

"Uhh, everything OK?" Azami asked with a confused look.

"No," Murphy said honestly. "Nothing makes any sense. How's the shoulder?"

Azami gave a half shrug. "Sore, but it'll be OK."

Murphy took a deep breath and said, "I'm so sorry I shot you."

"S'OK. You didn't mean it," Azami replied with a weak grin. She leaned against the wall and slid down to sit."Can't sleep very good," she explained.

"Me either," Murphy agreed. "I have so many questions that have no answers. How I got outside that warehouse, what in the hell that thing in the warehouse was, what really happened and what was only wild dreams from being knocked out," Murphy paused and took a breath. "Right now the most important question is, are you all right, Azami? Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"I'm fine, no hospital."

"I don't know how you got to that warehouse, how I got out or why your shoulder isn't blown apart. Care to explain?" Murphy asked with a bit of stress in her voice.

Azami bit her lip and said, "I'm not suppose to."

Gazing at the mysterious pink haired girl intently, Murphy said, "I need to know, Azami. Please, I. Need. To. Know."

Azami turned her head so she was facing the distressed looking woman."You deserve the truth, Mrs. Murphy. The problem is, there are many who can't handle the wrong people knowing. Harry ... Mr. Dresden was ordered by his people to make sure no ones finds out about me."

"His people, who?" Murphy asked evenly.

"I can't tell you any names. All I can say is that for the moment, it is best not to ask."

Murphy looked into Azami's eyes. "Azami, there was a war fought in that warehouse today. Five good men died, you were there, and I'm pretty sure Harry Dresden was too. I want to know what happened. No lies, none of Harry's misdirection."

Azami let out a sigh. "This is for you, no one else can know. Can you accept that?" she asked.

"I will ask Harry to confirm what you tell me," Murphy stated.

Azami thought for a moment, then asked, "Can you accept Harry is a wizard?"

"So Harry does come into this."

"Mrs. Murphy, Harry is a good man. He does much more than you know. I would have not been able to save you if it wasn't for him," Azami said gently.

Murphy nodded and said, "Start from the beginning, how did you get there?"

"Please, keep in mind telling this to anyone may get Harry killed, then I'd have to go and punish those people. It could get nasty," Azami said seriously.

"I understand, spill it."

Azami spoke slowly and evenly. "Harry and his friend liked my ballet, and I was going to practice anyway so I went to Harry's after school to see if they wanted to watch. There was a woman there who some guy was chasing. I felt a presence, and this guy appeared at Harry's door. He walked in and set off Harry's protections. When that happened, I could see it was actually a minotar. It came at me, so I kicked it back outside. It left..."

"Whoa, whoa," Murphy said, holding up a hand. "What do you mean, minotar?"

"That thing you saw in the warehouse?" Azami asked. "That was a minotar."

"OK, that thing had a name. Go on," Murphy coaxed.

"Anyway, it fled. If we didn't do anything, we knew it would kill a lot more people so Harry and I went after it. We tracked it to that warehouse. I couldn't just walk in with all the police around, so I used the roofs and got inside. Unfortunately, it was already killing people, so I dropped down between you and it. You were shooting at it, so when I landed, you shot me by mistake. I fought it and got rid of it. With some help I carried you outside so an ambulance would find you. Harry drove me back here."

"You say that like it was no big deal," Murphy noted. "I emptied my assault rifle into that thing, hit with every shot, and it didn't even slow down. Then again, shooting you in the shoulder didn't seem to affect you very much, either."

"It hurt," Azami admitted. "But I was focused on getting rid of the minotar. Mama Moka said to never loose your concentration when you're fighting."

"So, you took down this bullet proof, murdering beast by yourself, with a bullet in your own shoulder. How?"

"I am Shinso," Azami said if it should be obvious. "I am more powerful than a minotar."

"Can I see that shoulder?"

Azami hoisted herself partway up, and turned to sit with her back to Murphy. She scrunched the shoulder of her nightgown down to expose the bandage. Murphy carefully pulled back the red spotted bandage far enough to see a pencil eraser sized hole that looked like it was closing up. It was also shallow, not more than skin-deep.

"That 9MM should have gone right through your shoulder", Murphy mussed.

"If I was human, it would have," Azami agreed.

"Just what is 'Shinso'?"

"Shinso is a type of yokai," Azami explained. "A long family line of vampires going back a very long time. We are born and bred to be the strongest and most skilled. Gramma Akasha is the head of the family, Mama Moka is well known, and even my older sister, Akemi, has done tasks for Papa to rein in bad yokai. In fact that was one of the reasons I wanted to come here. I haven't really done anything yet, and I want Papa to be as proud of me, as he is of my older sisters."

"A vampire," Murphy said flatly. "You're telling me you're a vampire."

"Shinso," Azami corrected."Shinso is a vampire, but being a vampire does not mean being Shinso."

"I suppose Harry can explain that," Muphy asked with a raised eyebrow. "What about the transfusions?"

"A story to cover the fact I need to drink blood."

"I suppose you know why I've been calling blood , tomato juice?"

"I tried to hypnotize you and I didn't do it right," Azami admitted with a wince. "Sorry."

"And Harry knows all about you."

Azami shrugged. "Not really, Mr. Bainbridge had to explain it to Harry."

"Who's that?

"The ghost who lives with Harry."

Murphy shook her head. "Shouldn't be surprised," she muttered.

"This is just between us, right? So you don't have to worry?" Azami asked.

"I take it this 'Shinso' thing is why Anna wants me to keep you close by if there's danger?" Murphy asked.

"Yes. Anna is right, if you think you might be in danger, please tell me."

Murph let out a giggle that bore a touch of madness. "If I hadn't been there, if I hadn't seen what I did, ... I still don't know if I really believe it, but in a twisted way, it all makes sense." Taking a breath, Murphy added, "Like I said before, the most important thing is that you're not seriously hurt, even after being shot and fighting that thing. Try to get some sleep, Azami. See you in the morning."

"Night, Mrs. Murphy."

Murphy got up and let Azami go in the bathroom. This time when Murphy got to sleep, she didn't suffer any more nightmares of shooting innocent girls.

.

Saturday morning, Murphy called Harry and invited him to come see Azami practice her ballet. "..And be sure to bring Mr. Bainbridge with you."

"Who?" Harry asked guardedly.

"Mr. Bainbridge, your ghost. Azami told me about him, she wants him to come," Murphy said firmly.

"She did, huh?" Harry said, not sounding happy.

"Yes, and after what you put her through yesterday, We owe her a request, don't you think?" Murphy prodded.

"Ahh, about that, Murph..."

"We'll discuss it here, later," Murphy told him firmly. She hung up before he could argue.

The living room floor was hardwood. Azami moved the couch to one wall, the TV and entertainment stands out, pulled up the throw rugs and cleaned the floor completely. She waxed and polished the floor to a shine. It took her two hours and when she was done, the floor was so polished, the walls reflected off it.

Anna went out while Azami was cleaning. Murphy had OK'd Azami's task, thinking she only wanted to clean the floor, not turn it into a wooden mirror. Coming up from the basement with a full laundry basket, Murphy gapped at the polished floor. The entertainment center was pushed to one corner, and it too was picked up, with everything in place for once. The throw rugs were rolled up and stacked in the corner. Azami had done a wonderful job, especially considering she'd been shot the day before.

Murphy had never seen that floor look so good. She was afraid to walk on it, not wanting to leave a footprint. The doorbell rang, forcing her to lightly step across what looked like a new floor.

Putting the basket down, Murphy answered the door. On the other side, an oriental woman in a dark green pant suit, her hair pulled back in a pony tail, bowed and asked, "Mrs. Murphy, I came to see how Miss Aono is fairing after her injury. My name is Mai."

"Azami is dong well," Murphy said, motioning the woman in. "She was about to practice her ballet soon. I am surprised she heals so quickly."

"Miss Aono is a very special girl," Mai said with a glance up the stairs. "Very few know how special."

"I am just relieved she is recovering with no problems," Murphy told the woman, then asked, "Are you an acquaintance of the family?"

"Yes, the Aono's are very important to us," Mai said with a smile. "Tell me, have you even met Mr. and Mrs. Aono?"

Something about the woman's questioning told Murphy to be careful. "I have not had the pleasure. We were expecting Mr. Dresden to arrive soon, have you met him?" Murphy clearly saw the distaste that passed over Mai's face when Harry was mentioned.

"I know of Harry Dresden, yes," Mai replied shortly.

"I can understand that reaction," Murphy said with a smirk.

"Mai, right?" Azami asked as she came quickly down the stairs. Humming happily to herself, Azami had put on her white tutu. She did a spin while she was descending the stairs. Murphy gasped, sure she would end up in a pile at then bottom, but Azami made her turn while coming down with no problem and jumped the last two steps. Stopping, Azami stood still as Mai bowed to her.

"Happy to see you, Princess."

"Greeting, Miss Mai," Azami replied happily, returning her bow. "How are you today?"

"Very well, Princess, thank you for asking. I understand your injuries are taken care of? If you have any other concerns, please let me assist you."

"No need to worry," Azami assured her. "Mr. Dresden and Mrs. Murphy have been taking good care of me."

"I would think they would have been careful to ensure you do not get injured," Mai said evenly.

Azami eyed Mai. In the same tone, not quite a lecture, she said, "I chose that battle, Miss Mai. My honor requires that if I see something wrong, I must correct it. It would not be proper to cast blame upon someone else for what I choose to do."

Mai bowed her head. "As you say, Princess."

"And I hold Mr. Dresden and Mrs. Murphy as friends of the family. If anyone were to harm them, there will be consequences."

Mai's eyes raised at the veiled threat. "I understand Princess," she said in a more subdued tone. "I came to see if there is anything I can do to assist you. I am happy you have recovered."

"You can stay and watch my practice if you like," Azami offered.

Mai bowed and said, "Thank you for your generosity, Princess, but I am very busy. Have a pleasant day."

"You have a good day also," Azami replied.

After Murphy showed Mai out, she asked Azami, "What was that all about?"

"Assuring her you know nothing about me, and a warning she'll get her ass kicked if she touches you or Harry," Azami stated.

Murphy grew a smirk and said, "I mean that 'princess' thing."

"OH. Yeah, Gramma Akasha is Queen of all yokai, so that makes me a Princess."

.

"You know the worst part of it?" Murphy asked Harry as she sat across from him at her kitchen table. "The department is going over everything, searching for explosive residue, and looking for weapons that aren't there. You know what caused those holes in the concrete, and what tore that support beam free, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "I didn't see when it happened, but ... yeah, I know."

Murphy let out a snort. "So, my testimony is a lie. I didn't seen anything, I never saw the perps, and I only shot at a figment of my imagination, and not the girl I'm suppose to be responsible for."

"Welcome to the dark side," Harry offered with a lopsided grin.

Murphy waved a hand at the white haired man who was in the living room, completely engrossed the sight of Azami twirling and performing her ballet moves. "So, what about Bob?"

"He's a spirit who is imprisoned inside his skull," Harry said, nodding to the skull he'd brought with him. "He is very knowledgeable in the dark arts, and offers me advice."

"And Bob knew about these 'Shinso' like Azami?"

Harry rubbed the back of his head. With a huff he said, "Yeah, Bob knows. Hey Murph, don't take this 'Shinso' thing, or Azami lightly. That thing she fought in the warehouse was a demon that is extremely deadly. That kid beat the hell out of it. Those depressions and that support beam being ripped from the floor? That was from Azami throwing that thing around. I know you were passed out at the time, but I gotta tell you, I was scared of her and she is on our side. I didn't see what was happening because I was hiding. I zapped Hatcher because I thought he was the Hellion running from Azami."

"Azami called it a minotar," Murphy said.

"Six of one, half dozen of the other. Bad-assed demon is what it was." Harry stated.

"Any who's this Mai woman?"

Harry winced and said, "Murph, let's not go there. Really."

Murphy cast him a smirk. "All right, but if she bothers you, let Azami know." Murphy eyed Harry for a moment then said, "It's real, isn't it? All the stuff you do, all the things that don't add up, the cases that don't get solved. You solve them your way with magic."

"I do what I can," Harry said.

"Oh, Brav-o, your Majesty! Harry, you really should see this!" Bob called happily.

Murphy and Harry both grinned at Bob's proclamation. "Only one more question, Harry. What is she doing here?" Murphy asked.

Harry shrugged and said, "Practicing her ballet? You guess is as good as mine. She's an exchange student, right?"

"Not good enough," Murphy said as she looked Harry in the eyes. "Like you said, Azami most likely has a rich family that is very powerful, even by your standards. People like that don't send their kids off to a city school in another country because the kid wants to see other places."

"You think she's a spy?" Harry asked.

"No," Murphy mussed. "I think it's something bigger we're not meant to see. Keep your ears open, Harry. I don't think you want to get caught flat-footed."

.

The downstairs lounge doors in the Aono house were shut with magic locks on them. Inside, Tsukune and his wives sat in a circle with Ruby and Queen Akasha. Tsukune started at the top of their list.

"All right, things are going well on Witch Hill, in Japan, and in the Ukraine, Issa is becoming a bit more reasonable in his dealings with humans and is putting more emphasis on legal enterprises, we have human yokai relations started in the northeast US and Australia and several in China and Russia. Your Majesty, do you have any questions or concerns?" Tsukune said as he looked at Akasha.

"None, you are doing well, my son," Akasha assured him.

Tsukune raised his eyebrows as he went on to the next item. "And now for the children," he said in a huff. "Kashiro and Kayio are doing well at yokai, although it seems Kaiyo has a bit of competition..."

"Like that hasn't happened before," Kurumu said with a grin.

Tsukune coughed. He really wasn't liking the idea his daughters were already becoming involved with sex, but Kurumu encouraged it, and both Moka and Mizore insisted it was 'normal behavior'. Personally, he wanted them all in chastity belts until they were eighteen. "So, we have Akemi doing good in school and acting like a young lady should," he said. "Kumiko has latched onto Frank and Elizabeth and is somehow managing her grades."

"It's because Kumiko is happy, dear," Kurumu told him. "And Kumiko has discovered a form of magic."

"Yes, Tsukune!" Yukari said eagerly. "I am still studying what Kumiko does, but it is music based. It will take some time to find out her capabilities, but I do believe she has found a powerful form of magic she can work with."

"Ya-hooo!" Kurumu cried, thrusting a fist in the air. "I knew Kumiko would find her own tunes to sing to."

Tsukune wasn't particularly happy WHY Kumiko was singing. "The one who has me the most concerned is Azami," he said firmly. "She has run into some trouble."

"Nothing she can't handle," Moka replied. "Azami is doing well, and we are keeping a close watch on her. Tsukune, dear, Azami feels she need to prove herself. It is only right that we let her. She needs to grow."

Again, Tsukune had to begrudgingly agree. Azami was the best way they had to find out everything going on in the Chicago area. The 'exchange student' program was allowing them to get intel and find out how bad the situation was without being obvious. "Let's just make sure Azami doesn't get in over her head," he said. "I feel bad enough sending a thirteen year old out on a mission."

"Azami is very proud of herself, surely that is important," Moka coaxed.

"It is," Tsukune agreed as he smiled at Moka. He just wished Azami could be proud of herself closer to home. "Let's not forget the birthday package for her."

"Kumiko and Moka Junior are getting it ready," Mizore told him. "Yukari will deliver it the night after the doll children party."

"She will have it the next morning, her time," Yukari assured Tsukune.

Tsukune nodded, wishing he was the one to go make sure Azami knew he was indeed proud of her.

.

Azami found a new game she liked. Although she had to wear short pants, coming here was worth it. It was a simple game, bounce a large round ball while running (called dribbling), avoid the players on the other team and put the ball down through a metal ringed 'basket' that had no bottom. At first, she didn't get the game or the rules, but by the time it was their turn on the neighborhood court, she was getting the hang of it.

Craig, Anna, Azami, Joey, and Chris took their side of the court, while four guys and a girl took theirs.

"Easy game," one tall boy said with a deep laugh. Azami had never seen any human this tall, her chin only came up to his belly button.

"Wow, you're big," Azami said, looking up at his six foot five height.

"Hey, Speedbump," he said with a wide grin as he bent over to look at her. "You play ball?"

"My first time," Azami said with a nod. "I watched the last teams play. I think I got it."

"Think it's easy, huh?" the taller girl on the other team asked. This girl was shorter than the boy, but still a head and a half taller than Azami.

The tall boy handed Azami the ball, which he hend in one hand, his long fingers covering half the ball. "Tell you what, Speedbump, no jump start, we'll give you the first possession. Try for your basket."

Azami had to use two hands to hold the ball. "Thank you, sir," Azami said and bowed to him, which made him chuckle. "Do I start back there by our basket?"

"Right here in the middle, see that little circle?"

"OK, thank you!" Azami said and went to the circle in the middle of the court.

"We're gonna get slaughtered," Craig grumbled. These were juniors and seniors. Three of which were on the basketball team.

"Yeah," Joey agreed. The other team was older, and an average of six foot. It was like playing against telephone poles.

The tall boy got a few feet in front of Azami and clapped his big hands. "Ok, Speedbump, let's see wha'cha got."

Azami bounced the ball and ran to the side, then charged in between the tall boy and the one beside him. She then hooked behind the shorter boy and angled sharply again, heading for their basket.

The girl was in the way, arms out and poised to stop Azami either way she tried to move by. Seeing others used jumps to gain an advantage, Azami figured she was close enough to the basket and jumped in the air. Azami spread her legs in a split, tucking upon herself to clear the girls' head. Focused on the basket, Azami let her body unfold and she took her shot, giving the ball a gentle push up to arc towards the basket. Azami came down and landed as the ball swished through the hoop.

Yells and shouts filled the air from the court and those around it. The cheers and remarks of exclamation surrounded Azami The game stopped as people gathered around her. she wondered what all the fuss was.

"DAYUM, we got Michael fukkin Jordan here!"

"YEAH AZAMI!"

"Air Azami!"

"We got taken, she's a pro!"

"Yo Speedbump! How'd you jump like that? You got springs in those legs?"

"Doan tell me you never played before!" the girl admonished.

Azami gapped at the group around her. "What? Did I do it wrong?" she asked.

"YOU ROCK Azami!" Criag called out, clenching his fist.

"Yo, Speedbump, no mo freebies!" the tall boy said.

Seeing he had made a nickname for her, Azami said, "You got it, Cloudhead."

"Cloudhead?" he asked, eyeing her.

"Yeah, If I'm a Speedbump, you're Cloudhead, with your head way up there in the clouds," Azami told him.

Cloudhead tipped his head back and roared out a laugh. Clapping his hand together, he announced, "All right, let's get this game on! We're playin for real now."

Azami had fun. She found that while being short was somewhat of a disadvantage, she made up for it with speed. Zipping up to steal the ball from a dribbler when they weren't watching, and out maneuvering the tall players who weren't as nimble, got her to the basket. A few times, she missed the basket, but got more tries in than the other team.

They lost 12-14, but Azami's team were happy to put up such a good fight, mostly because of Azami.

After the game, the girl on the other team came over to Azami. "Hey, Speedbump, you don't usually play, seriously?"

Azami shook her head. "Today was my first time."

The girl introduced herself. "I'm Tamara, co-captain of the girl's varsity team. You come down to the gym after school tomorrow. Tell them Tamara told you to come try out. You got game, girl."

"Thank you for the game," Azami replied and bowed to her.

"Ah, yeah, just show your butt up for practice," Tamara told her.

"Tamara!" Another girl called from the other side of the fence. "We need two more players, wanna join us?"

Tamara looked at Azami and nodded to the girls. "Well, Speedbump, go for another one?"

Azami looked at Anna.

"Go ahead," Anna told her.

"Yeah, we suck and we know it. I wanna see you play again," Joey said.

"All right."

Tamara put an arm around Azami and let her over, saying, "OK, first we're gonna play what's called zone defense..."

Tamara explained a few fine points about how to play ball to Azami. Azami listened and got the basics of the strategy. They played a girls on girls game and won 27 to 8. Since Tamara was friends with the other girls, she had Azami hold back some so as 'not to embarrass them too bad'. By the time that game was over, more people had come to watch, and Azami was coaxed into another game. This one was against some cocky boys who 'knew' the ruled the court. Azami played with a few more of Tamara's friends and beat them 43-2. The boys got two foul shots from Azami running them over.

"Remember, tomorrow after school, practice in the gym!" Tamara called to Azami as they parted for the day.

"See you there!" Azami called back.

.

On the way back home, Azami noted Mr. Morgan standing by a car. He nodded to her and waved her over.

Azami went to go, and Anna grabbed her arm. "Don't, that guy looks like a drug dealer," she warned.

"No, that's Mr. Morgan," Azami told her. "He's OK."

The group hung around as Azami went over to Mr. Morgan.

"Greetings, your Majesty," Morgan said as he bowed to her.

"Greetings, Mr. Morgan. Is there something I can do for you?"

Looking around to make sure no one was listening, Morgan said, "Yes, there is, your Majesty. I know playing games is fun, but it appears your playing basket ball is drawing attention to yourself. The wrong kind of attention."

"I'm sorry," Azami offered.

Offering her a smile, Morgan said, "It's not your fault. Please be sure to try and use only ... human abilities in the future."

"I will. Sorry for making you worry, Mr. Morgan," Azami said meekly.

"We know you are trying, your Majesty. Just please keep in mind you must stay subdued in front of others. May I take you anywhere?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. And I'll try harder."

"Thank you, your majesty. Have a good day."

"You too, Mr. Morgan," Azami replied. They exchanged bows. Azami went back to her friends.

Anna got beside Azami and asked, "Who was that?"

"A spoil sport, Azami grumbled.


	25. Chapter 25

CH 64

Azami wasn't happy that she couldn't play sports. She knew Mr. Morgan was talking specifically about basketball, but she had the feeling he was talking about any activity where she might show more than a human ability. Which meant any sport, and most likely dancing as well.

In the cafeteria a notice was up for ballet and modern dance classes. Azami eyed it with a sigh. It would be great to get involved, but she might jump too high or spin too fast and someone might take notice. Because it was important to Harry and to keep the peace, she'd put up with it for now.

"Hi, Azami," Dan said, casting her a bright smile as he got beside her.

"Hi Dan," Azami replied not quite as cheerfully.

"Something wrong?" he asked, eyeing her closely.

Azami shrugged and said, "Nothing I can do anything about."

"That sucks," Dan offered. Perking up, he said, "Hey, I got a new Halo game, wanna come home with me after school and play it? This is number four, and it's really awesome."

"What's Halo?"

Eager to talk about his games, Dan told Azami all about the Halo rings, Masterchief and his AI Cortana as they went in and got in the lunch line. At first Azami was thinking these 'action' games were

played on a field, and became confused when he began talking about space, guns, flying vehicles and aliens. She was saved by a deep voice booming out.

"YO, Speedbump!"

Azami smiled back at the wide grin. "Yo, Cloudhead, how are you today?"

A big hand came down and paused, Cloudhead looked at her expectantly.

"High five, you're suppose to slap his hand," Dan coaxed.

"Ah, OK." Azami gave Cloudhead the high five.

"We'll be seeing you on the court soon, eh?" Cloudhead asked.

Azami frowned and shook her head. "I'm not allowed," she grumbled.

"Say what?" Cloudhead asked. "Who says?"

Azami shrugged. "I got in trouble for playing the other day. I'm not suppose to be doing that."

"WHAT?" Cloudhead asked in blast. "That's just plain wrong! You liked playin, didn't ya?"

"It was fun, I had a good time," Azami agreed.

"Tamara's gonna be bitchin up a storm when you don't show for practice," Cloudhead warned. "She's already told most of the girls they got themselves a ringer."

Azami nodded. "I'll tell her I'm sorry," she said meekly.

"That just ain't right," Cloudhead spat. Sternly, he said, "Speedbump, sometimes you gotta fight. I know you're all polite and shit, but DAYUM, sometimes you gotta stand up for yourself! You're a wizard out on the court, and I know ya had fun. You tell those folks of yours you wanna play. If you want, I'll come back ya up."

Azami could see he was getting worked up on her behalf. It was sweet, but she really didn't want that kind of trouble. "Let me work on them for a while. It's rather complicated. I do appreciate you wanting to help," she offered.

"Azami can play basketball?" Dan asked, surprised at the news.

"Yeah, kid. This girl can fly. Hell, I was lookin to see if she had wings," Cloudhead bragged. "To keep her off the court is just ain't right."

"Are there things you can do?" Dan asked Azami.

"Not much," Azami groused. "I love ballet, but I already know I won't be allowed to dance at school. I can only dance at home."

"You're shittin," Cloudhead asked as he stared at her.

Azami took that as he didn't believe her. "Well I can dance with Aunt Kahlua when she comes around."

Cloudhead chuckled. "You got an aunt named Kahlua? No shit?"

Azami chuckled at his reaction. "Yeah. Anyway, I can't really do any extra things at school," she explained sadly.

"Don't got an uncle named Jack Daniels, do ya?"

Dan laughed at that. Azami smiled and said, "No, no uncle Jack."

"Well, Speedbump, I think ya should stand up and tell'em you're gonna play anyway," Cloudhead said firmly. "Like I said, I'll back ya up. Ya need help, ya call me. We cool?"

Azami nodded. "Thank you, Cloudhead."

.

Going into her afternoon History class, Anna felt her arm grabbed. She turned to see Tamara scowling at her.

"What's this shit I hear Speedbump can't play ball?"

Anna recovered and jerked her arm free. "Yeah, that's what she was told," she said, not happy.

"And you'd know if it was a racial thing," Tamara prodded.

Anna rolled her eyes. "Look, Tamara , Azami's not happy about it, and I don't think it's fair either. There's things going on with her I don't understand, but it's not racial. I wish I could explain it, but I just don't know."

"The girl's a natural, you tellin me her folks can't see clear to let her play ball?"

"I don't know for sure, but I think it's a political thing," Anna hissed, keeping her voice down.

Tamara's face screwed up. "What shit you spewin? What in the hell would a short-shit, pink haired asian girl have to do with politics?" Tamara asked in disbelief.

"She's some Princess and her folks are like, umber-powerful," Anna whispered. "No one's suppose to know."

"What? you mean like Queen of England shit?" Tamara asked.

"Close enough. Someone's afraid she might ... fall down and skin her knee or something," Anna said with a wave of her hand.

Frowning off at nothing, Tamara spat out, "Why of all the pompous, cracker, BULLSHIT I've heard! You tellin me her folks wanna keep that girl locked in a bubble all her life?"

"More than just her folks," Anna offered. "I think someone got nervous after Azami was shot at..." Anna then clapped her mouth shut. She realized she had just said more than she should.

"Shot? Speedbump was shot? Is that why she came here, someone's after her?" Tamara asked, studying Anna.

Anna shook her head. "I can't say anything, I shouldn't have said that. Please, just forget it."

"I see, you said it's political. She's hiding here, isn't she? If she gets on a team and her name gets in the paper, someone will come gunnin for her. That about right?" Tamara asked intently.

"I can't say," Anna said firmly with a nod.

Tamara nodded. "Gotcha, girl. You tell Speedbump we'll work somethin out."

.

The rumor mill of the school began to churn. Azami Aono, AKA Speedbump, was hiding from foreign assassins. The rumor mill built her up into being the Crown Princess of some far eastern country. Her reputation was worked by the mill to produce a Princess who fought for human rights, and even though she held some kind of mystical power, she was forced to flee after many of her family were killed.

Azami found Tamara in her homeroom with a portion of her team at the end of the day. Going in, Azami bowed to Tamara and said, "I am so sorry. I cannot come play on your team. Please forgive me."

Tamara got up and hugged Azami. "Doan worry, girl. We got yer back. Saturdays come down to the west side apartments, there's a few courts in the middle of the complex. You can come play with us there, and no one's gonna bother ya. We'll make sure of that."

"You'd do that for me?" Azami asked.

Tamara nodded. "Heard they got a dance group on Sunday afternoons too. Just doan go spreadin it around, ya hear?"

Azami smiled, nodding as she bowed, "Yes ... I mean no, I mean, Thank you!"

The girls laughed, Tamara gave Azami directions to hold onto, and said, "Now git, we'll see ya Saturday."

.

Azami went back to her homeroom. Feeling a presence behind her, she stopped and turned back. Whoever it was had ducked around a corner. It was almost time to go home, and whoever that was, wasn't making any aggressive moves. Even so, instead of going home with Anna and her friends via the video game cafe, she headed out in a different path alone, just in case.

Azami left school noting many people waved to her now, many calling her 'Speedbump'. She turned down a ride in a 'low rider' a bunch of older kids were piled in. The pink haired squad met her. Azami was expecting another tussle, but the leader dropped to her knees before Azami and begged forgiveness. Azami gave it, and reminded her to not treat others badly. They hung on her words and escorted her a few blocks until they got to their apartment building.

Passing a the front of a closed down store, Azami noted in the deeply shadowed entryway, someone was waiting. A young man stepped out and eyed her.

"And who are you?" he asked in a hard tone.

Azami felt this guy. A weak vampire and by the way he was eyeing her, he wanted trouble.

"Someone you should show respect to," Azami replied evenly. She stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, just beyond the shadow.

"You got some special protection?" he asked, eyeing her. "Is that why you're walking around in MY territory?"

Azami raised an eyebrow. "I walk where I want," she stated.

"This is MY territory," he growled. "You aren't even Black Court, are you?"

Azami looked up and down the street. There weren't many people about, but enough to see if she hauled his ass out into the sunlight and roasted him. "I'm not. And you are who?" she asked.

"I hunt here. Do not come back if you want to live!" the man growled.

Azami stared at him, then grinned. "Challenge accepted," she said, and charged. He was taller and broader, he had not been expecting her to attack. Azami hit him square in the chest with a kick, knocking him back through the entry to fly down an isle and crash into empty shelves at the end. By the time he gathered his wits, Azami had him by the collar, and threw him back towards the door. He stopped himself to be kicked and tumble closer to the light. He stopped himself again, now becoming afraid. Again Azami's foot sent him flying, this time out the door. He grabbed a post and stopped himself before he flew out into the daylight.

In a fit of rage, he charged, meaning to grab Azami and rip her throat out. Azami caught his wrists and did a back flip throwing him over her. They spun and when Azami was on top, she kicked down hard, driving him into the floor. When she landed, she punched him in the head, splintering the floor boards and driving his head through the floor. She went to pull him up and he turned dark, then crumbled into dust.

Azami blinked. She had never seen any yokai, especially a vampire, die so easily. All he had was a bit of attitude, no strength at all.

Azami went through the store, looking for the dead vampire's lair. The store itself was empty except for a homeless man's corner. By the empty bottles, the man was out scoring his next drunk. Finding a missing panel in the drop ceiling, Azami jumped up and followed a beam over into a raised area that held a small, smelly room that reminded her of an animal den. The rumpled covers on the mattress were filthy, and the small fridge had a few items Azami did not wish to identify.

"Who's up there?" a voice called. "Come down here, make it easy on yourself."

Azami noticed there was a door. She went out it and down the stairs. At the bottom, she turned a corner to see a dark cloaked man and woman standing under the missing ceiling panel. They turned to her.

"Identify yourselves," Azami said.

The man eyed her angrily. He moved to step towards her, but the woman slapped a hand to his chest.

"Wait!" she said quickly. She eyed Azami, then dipped in a curtsy. "Your Majesty, I am pleasantly surprised you would come to visit us," she said in a sickly-sweet tone.

"I asked who you are," Azami stated.

"This is Harold, I am Gina. We have the hunting rights for this section of town. Our claim is recorded with Black Court, who is the ruler of this area," Gina explained.

"And you are?" Harold asked harshly.

Gina glared at him. "Harold! Show some respect! This is her Majesty, Azami Aono."

"You own this hovel?" Azami asked.

"We keep up the taxes and permits in city hall,"Gina said. "In return, we allow members of Black court who do not have a home to stay here, in exchange for their services."

Azami let out a snort. "You keep vampires in slavery?" she asked.

"We provide shelter in turn..."

"Shelter?" Azami asked in shock. "You call THIS broken down wreck of a place, shelter?"

"It serves it's purpose!" Gina replied crisply. "It is dark and it attracts the homeless so we can feed without causing a disturbance."

Azami screwed her face up at them. "You are disgusting! I have never before seen a place this nasty be set foot in, let alone lived in."

"It is our business, not yours!" Harold roared.

"Wanna bet?" Azami asked harshly.

"Your Majesty, this is ours by right. If you have a complaint, take it up with Black court," Gina said firmly.

"I will, later. Right now, I'm taking it up with you," Azami said firmly. "If you have no self respect, how can you possibly have respect for anyone else? You can burn this place, tear it down, or repair it into something resembling a suitable place to live in. You will do one or the other. NO one else lives here until you do."

"I say we kill her," Harold growled.

Gina gave a quick nod. They raced at Azami. Azami was faster. She dropped low, then kicked up catching them both and catapulting them into the ceiling.

Azami drove a hard fist through Harold's chest as he fell, burying herself to her elbow into him and shattering his heart. Tossing him aside as he fell apart into dust, she met Gina's screeching charge. Gina swung the wooden post she had. Azami bent backwards, dodging the swing. Continuing the back flip, Azami kicked Gina back into the ceiling. Gina reappeared a few tiles down, breaking down through the drop ceiling to crash down into the next isle.

"YO, Speedbump, you in here?" Tamara's voice called.

SHIT! Having to deal with a human in the way was the last thing Azami expected. She sensed the last vampire was circling around to the left. Upon Tamara calling out, the vampire moved to the right. Azami charged straight ahead to intercept, blasting through the racks dividing the isles. She rammed Gina, they both smashed into the next isle racks. Wood chunks and strips of metal flew from the impacts.

Desperate to keep Gina off Tamara, Azami ripped debris aside until she had Gina's bloodied face right before her. Gina grabbed Azami by the throat with both hands and pushed hard as she screamed in rage. Azami was pushed back and hit the floor with Gina over her. Azami grabbed Gina's wrists hard. Curling up as Gina attempted to crush the life out of her, Azami kicked hard with both feet just inside Gina's shoulders, and pushed with all her might.

Gina screamed in a wail. She let go of Azami's neck, but Azami maintained her grip on Gina's arms as she pushed with her feet. Gina's arms tore off as she recoiled back to stand. As Gina staggered backwards, arm stumps pumping black blood, Azami shot up and got behind her, wrapping an arm around her neck. A quick snap and pull, Gina stopped screaming as her head came free. Her body turned to dark ash and crumbled.

Azami coughed from the dust and brushed herself off. "That was disgusting!" she grumbled as she knocked the ash off her. Looking up, she saw Tamara standing in the doorway, eyes wide as she stared at Azami.

"Tamara, it's OK," Azami said as she walked towards her friend.

Tamara trembled in place not hearing her.

"It's OK, we have to go," Azami said, approaching.

Tamara's eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed.

.

Outside, Azami sat by Tamara as she lay on the sidewalk. Azami called out for help, and soon a crowd gathered. Azami explained she saw Tamara collapse for no reason. A cop came to monitor the crowd, then an ambulance came. Azami waited until Tamara was in and on her way to the hospital, then she continued on home. A mental poke caught Azami's attention. To no one, she said, "Black court treats their vampires poorly, so their vampires treat others poorly. I have not seen anything of Red Court yet."

There was no reply, but Azami knew Mama Yukari got the message. A bit of her mission was done, there much more still to do.

The hospital wasn't that far away, so after Azami took her books home, she wrote a note for Anna and Mrs. Murphy, then jogged her way to the local hospital. She went in the emergency room exit and asked the nurse about Tamara.

Not looking up from her screen, the nurse said, "Tamara Brown, room five. Her mother is with her, She can have three visitors at a time."

"Thank you," Azami said and went to the room, which was no more than one of many small curtained areas within one big room.

From within the curtained area with the 5 over it, Azami heard Tamara say in a shaking voice, "Mom, Gramma was right! Demons are real, I saw one!"

"Come on Tamara! Tell me the truth, you're taking drugs."

"NO mom!" Tamara said in a hushed tone. "I'm not on anything, didn't the blood test show that? I'm telling you I saw a demon!"

"Yeah, so what's a demon look like?" her mother asked in a challenge.

"Excuse me," Azami said in a meek voice. She appeared in the open front of the curtained room and asked, "Are you OK?"

Tamara's mother, a large woman eyed Azami and asked, "Who are you?"

Azami bowed to her and said, "Azami Aono, Ma'am. I saw Tamara fall down and called the ambulance. I just came to see if she's all right."

"Was Tamara smokin something?"

"No, Tamara was on her way home from school, like I was," Azami said meekly.

"Did you see any demons?"

Azami winced and said, "I did see this ragged looking woman. She looked nasty, you know? She was inside that closed up store." Seeing the hard eyes of Tamara's mother, she added, "She was frightening looking."

"I see, so some bag lady scared the shit out of you," Tamara's mother concluded.

"Yes, I was scared too," Azami offered.

The nurse came by and handed Tamara's mother some paperwork. "Here are Tamara's discharge instructions. She has a bump on her head from the fall, but there is no danger of concussion. Here's a script for Tylenol. If her headache gets worse, of is she becomes dizzy, please bring her back in right away."

Azami backed up as Tamara's mother helped Tamara up on her feet. Tamara eyed Azami, then said, "Mom, I have to visit the bathroom. Come with me, Speedbump."

"Hurry it up," her mother said.

They went in the bathroom. Tamara walked to the sink. Leaning on it she shook her head and said, "You scared of whatever that was? That's a laugh." Looking at Azami she added, "I watched you, you ripped it's arms off, then tore it's fucking head off! What was that thing?"

"It was after me," Azami said simply. "We were fighting, and even though it wanted to kill me, if I hadn't acted fast, it would have gone for you, just because you were there."

"You got shit like THAT after you?"

Azami shrugged. "Sometimes," she admitted. "I think that's one good reason I shouldn't be around ... everyone else." Looking down, Azami added, "I do thank you for wanting to let me play. It is fun, but after today, I think it's also dangerous for you to be around me. I don't want to see my friends get hurt." She offered Tamara a smile. "Thank you for thinking of me." Azami then walked out.

Tamara steeled herself, then strode to the door and swung it open to tell Azami she would stand behind her. There were people out in the waiting area, but Azami was gone.

.

Harry was having a decent day. He'd tracked down the missing boy he was hired to find , got him home and was only a little late getting to Murphy's house to make sure the girls got home and had a decent dinner. Although he was doing this as a favor to Murphy, he kept finding money stuffed up in the wiper control inside his jeep. Usually, it was a new hundred dollar bill.

Wanting to catch Murphy doing it so he could explain it to her that she didn't have to pay him, he put a tickler spell right where the money was always put. He called it a tickler, because when the spell was activated, he'd feel a tickle behind his ear, telling him someone had disturbed the spot.

Harry had just made dinner when he felt the tickle. Yup, it was about the right time, Murphy had probably just pulled up in the driveway. Harry strode to the living room window and looked out. Murphy wasn't home yet, but Azami was walking back inside. He met her at the front door.

Azami came in and asked, "Dinner's ready?"

"It is, and when I go out, I bet I'll find another hundred stuffed up in the wiper control, won't I?" he asked.

Azami shrugged. "Maybe."

"Azami, you don't have to pay me."

"I'm not. It's not my money, it's yours." Seeing Harry frown at her, Azami flopped her hands up and down and said, "Harry! You watch us every day, and Papa says when someone does nice things for you, you're suppose to do nice things for them."

"This is important to you, huh?"

"Yes, so accept it."

Harry eyed her, then scrubbed the top of her head, saying, "All right, for you, Princess."

Azami smiled at him, then frowned slightly. "Ummm, Harry? Can I ask a favor?"

"Depends," Harry said cautiously.

Tapping her index fingers together, Azami blushed and said, "I, umm, am a bit hungry, may I have a nip?"

Inwardly, Harry shuddered. Still, she did look so cute asking, and she did ask instead of take. He nodded and waved her over to a chair. Azami hopped up on it. Harry stood in front of her and pulled her into a hug, trying not to see her fangs as she tipped her head onto his neck. Although this was something he told himself he should be cringing at, Azami sipped slowly and carefully. The way she held him was more like the soft embrace of a lover than the hard grip of a taker. It did feel kinda good, feeling the slow draw and having her in his arms. Unlike the warehouse where he'd been working to hold onto sanity, now, he noted with their arms around each other it felt ... intimate. He just wished he didn't have this big warning sign flashing in his head that said : "Jailbait"

Behind them, the door opened and Murphy belted out, "Harry! What in the hell are you doing with that child!"

Harry stiffened up so fast, he was sure Azami got an extra squirt from his heart launching up into his throat.

Azami licked his neck and released him. Happily, Azami said, "Harry was just letting me have a nip, Mrs. Murphy."

Struggling to say anything, Harry turned to Murphy and pointed back to her croaking out, "Ahh, what she said."

Murphy cast him a hard look that all but accused him of being a pedophile. "Azami, blood packs. No more live feeding," she said in a hard tone.

"Yes, Mrs. Murphy. I'm sorry," Azami said sheepishly and got down.

Harry didn't look right at Murphy, but he did feel her eyes burning into him. "Dinner's ready," he offered.

Dinner was quiet. Azami sat munching on her food, Harry sat hoping Murphy wasn't going to turn him in for something, Murphy sat trying to un-see what greeted her when she came in the house, and Anna sat flicking her eyes at the others, wondering why everyone was so tense.

Harry escaped without being crucified. Azami gave him a cheerful good bye at least. Murphy walked him to the door. At the threshold, she only glanced at him and said, "I know Azami's a Princess, but, that..."

"Looked wrong," Harry said to the floor.

"Yes, very so..."

"Not again," Harry supplied.

"right."

"Night, Murphy."

"Night, Dresden."

Harry climbed in his jeep and went home. On the way, he thought about it and one little hiccup during the day wasn't that bad. And if he had a dream about holding Azami while she sucked his blood,he was gong to beat his head firmly against the bed post the instant he woke up.

Getting back to his shop, he noticed a man in a long black coat and black wide brimmed hat waiting outside his door. Although the man was only standing by the door, he somehow managed to look threatening with only his eyes.

And Harry had left his hockey stick in his office.

"Great," Harry said in a huff. Obviously the man wanted to see him. Harry got out and walked over to him.

"Harry Dresden?" the man asked in a somber tone.

"That's me, wizard delux," Harry replied.

"Let's hope so," the man said flatly. He pulled out a wad of money, turned Harry's hand palm up and slapped it down in his hand. "Someone killed three Black Court vampires today. It wasn't a stab when they were asleep. They were awake, and fighting back in the old store up on Nineteenth street. I'll return in two days. I want to know who was responsible."

The man walked away. Harry looked down at the money and said, "I didn't say I'd take the case."

Without looking back, the man said, "You will, if you value your life. Two days, Mr. Dresden."

Harry winced. "I hate dealing with Black Court," he whined.


	26. Chapter 26

CH 65

In the early hours of the morning, Azami awoke to the feeling of something close. She didn't get up, but did focus on what she felt as a vampire who she guessed was seventy meters or so away. By the track, coming closer, then moving away again, she had the idea they were in a car. Once the presence faded, she lay awake sensing for another to appear. The early morning sky began to lighten and another did not return.

Azami caught another nap before getting up and starting her day. Although it was tempting to snuggle back into the covers, she could no longer afford such luxuries. Papa and her Mama's were counting on her, she had to make them proud. After her bath, she listened for Mrs. Murphy's alarm, then timed making the coffee so it was hot and fresh when she came down.

To Azami's surprise, Harry came by not long after Mrs. Murphy was up. Azami made him coffee also. He gazed at the hot cup in joy as if Azami was offering him his weight in gold.

"Thank you," Harry told Azami with a wide grin. He sat down across the table from Murphy. "Morning, Murph."

"What brings you here so early?" Murphy asked.

Harry's grin faded. "A case," he said and glanced at Azami. "It's one of those 'my side of the tracks' things."

Azami sat down by him. "I take it I can help?" she asked.

Harry wasn't happy Murphy was here to listen to this. He also knew there was no way she would leave Azami alone to talk with him after she found them wrapped together. "Black Court is missing three vampires," Harry said quietly to Azami, "I was just wondering if you knew anything about it?"

Azami nodded. "I met one yesterday, he said if he saw me again, he'd kill me. I took that as a challenge. We fought, he was much weaker than I suspected. I killed him. I looked over the ... horrid conditions he was living in. Two others showed up, they had been 'renting' space out to him. I wanted them to clean up their hovel, they refused and attacked me. They weren't very strong either", Azami explained.

Harry let out a huff. "Well, Princess, they're looking for you," he said.

"And I would like to see them," Azami agreed. "City park East, midnight tomorrow night."

"I don't think they are coming to talk," Harry said slowly. "They want revenge."

"What they want may be different than what they get," Azami told him. "Don't try to hide anything, Harry. Just tell them what I told you. The chance of innocents being hurt will be greatly lessened outside late at night," Azami explained.

"Excuse me," Murphy said, interrupting them. "I can't allow you to organize a fight," she said firmly.

Evenly, Azami said, "Mrs. Murphy, I want a meeting. There are things these people must know. While it is true a fight may break out, I would rather not have that happen. Papa says everyone deserves a change to start again. If it does come down to a fight, as long as no innocent humans are hurt, there will be nothing for you to worry about. You have human laws, but there are also Yokai laws. Please, keep everyone you can away from that park."

"She's right, Murph, this is something you do not want to get involved with. It will be the bad-assed demon times fifty," Harry added. "If police come, they will only get killed."

"How big is this organization?" Murphy asked.

Harry shrugged. "Unknown. Please, Murph, just keep people away."

"Stay away, Mrs. Murphy, please," Azami begged.

Murphy didn't respond. She sipped her coffee in thought then said, "I'll start breakfast. Azami, could you make sure Anna is up?"

"I'm up," Anna said, and stepped around the door frame into sight.

.

Anna had heard the conversation. She knew Azami planned to take on however many of those vampires there were, and do it by herself. That wasn't going to happen. Getting to school, she knew who to talk to to fire the rumor mill to it's full effect. Notes were passed and information flowed under the teacher's noses and Azami's.

Note to Tamara : You know those demons that are after Azami? In two nights at midnight, they are coming for her. She is going to meet them in East park. I don't know how many, but she needs help.

Note to Gerald : Cloudhead, Speedbump needs help! I know why she's so damn good at playing ball. She's a real life friggin ninja! There's these demons, and I'm talking real demons after her. I've seen them! In two nights, they're gonna attack, and she's going to try to take them all on by herself. Please, we need help.

Notes passed in Biology. : You bangers like to fight, I got a good one for ya. Real demons are comin, we're talkin dawn of the dead shit. Right now that little pale asian girl is the only one who is going out to face them. That brave little shit needs some help man. How bout you guys coming out and join us backin her up?

What shit you talkin?

Member those pinky girls? Speedbump put them in their place, and now she's goin out to protect all us by herself. You gonna hide an let some skirt do your fightin for ya?

Fuk you, you name the time and place, we'll be there! We ain't lettin no zombie fuks rule our turf!

Jill said there's gonna be a shitload of em. Guns don't work, we need sharpened stick and holy water, shit like that.

That little asian girl really a bad ass ninja?

She'd twist you in a knot, bro.

.

Azami was walking with Dan, who looked to be in heaven just to be able to talk to her. A fast movement to the side caught her eye. She snapped her hand up and caught the knife by the handle. Stopping, she looked that way, but whoever it was, faded into the crowd.

"What... where did that come from?' Dan asked in a squeak.

Azami tucked the knife under her books so it wouldn't be seen. "Don't know," she said, now paying extra attention to her surroundings.

.

Notes in English : Dude, I threw a knife at her from her blind side and she fuckin caught it! She's the real deal! This shit about the dead coming for us is real man!

Talked to the basketballers, we're gonna need sharp sticks, ends soaked in garlic, and waterguns. Hardware store trip, I'll get my cousin to leave the back gate open.

We're gonna need crosses too.

Ranirez, truce , we got big trouble comin. We're talking end of the world shit. Tamara from the basketball squad has the scoop.

Check it out, fourth street guys are helpin that pint sized ninja keep demons out of our turf. We ain't lettin them take all the glory. You south side guys wanna piece too?

Dude, all the bangers are lookin for help. We got serious shit comin. It's time to man up or whimp out.

Notes in Science class : Yeah, that's her, the light pink one in the middle. She's going up against demons from hell. Anyone who claims to be a man is gonna back her up. You in?

Yeah, she can fight, heard she's a ninja straight from Japan. Caught a knife in flight by the handle. Got a witness that says she's already killed three demons, but a shit ton more are comin.

Hell yeah, we'll help, might even get a gratitude fuck, she's cute.

Got some waterguns, store down on seventh just got a bunch in, smash and grab time. Church down by Eddie's has crosses.

Fucknut! You don't go stealin crosses from a church! We can make them!

Geekboy, got an important job for ya. Seriously. Meet me in the bathroom. Don't show this to Speedbump!

.

Dan came out of the bathroom after science class with a blank look on his pale face. He'd played many video games fighting aliens, dead things, and super-monsters. What he'd just been told wasn't a video game.

Azami, the puppy-dog cute asian girl was a real life super-ninja. He'd seen the knife she caught and someone else had watched her kill demons by herself. More were coming, an army of them, and Azami who many called 'Speedbump' was going to do the hero thing for real, and fight them off by herself. Or so she thought.

It seemed unreal, but someone had seen her kill real demons. If it had been another gamer, he wouldn't have believed it, but it was one of the tough guys from school that had explained him the situation in a dead serious tone. Word was the demons thought only Azami was going to show up to fight them off. Dan had to keep Azami occupied after school so neither Azami nor the demons would know anyone else was involved.

This wasn't a game. There'd be no reboot. If Azami fell to the demon horde, she'd be dead for real. Demons would be in their streets, for real. The thought made him want to puke.

Dan sat in his homeroom eyeing the clock. It amazed him how long it took for that second hand to go around the clock. A couple times when he stopped watching it for a moment, he thought it had gone backwards. After an eternity, the clock finally hit three thirty and the bell rang.

Dan was up and out the door in a shot. He ran to his locker, and fumbled the combination. Getting it on the second try, he threw his books in and ran for Azami's locker. He found Azami slowly heading out the doors, looking around like she was waiting for someone.

"Azami!" Dan cried and ran up to her. She eyed him curiously. Before she had a chance to speak, he grabbed her hand. "Come with me, please." he begged.

Azami went with him, concern showing on her face. "Dan, is someone bothering you?" she asked.

"No, just ... come with me, please," he begged.

"OK, will you tell me why you're upset?"

Oh damn! He was so bad at lying! He chose to avoid the question. "Could you come to my house? Just for a bit?" he asked.

Azami nodded. Seeing how upset he looked, she wanted to find out why his heart was pounding so fast and he looked like he was about to faint. "Calm down, I'll come with you," she told him.

Dan let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, really, thanks," he said.

Azami went with Dan, who held tight to her hand all the way to his house. She called Harry to let him know where she was so he wouldn't worry. Dan didn't say anything, but kept looking over at her as if he was afraid she'd get away.

Inside their apartment, Azami met Dan's mother, who was shocked Dan had brought a girl home. Giving his mother the proper greeting and bow, made his mother chuckle with glee.

"Oh Danny! She is so polite! Why don't you two relax, I'll get some snacks for you."

Dan looked like he didn't know what to do with himself. He began talking in a stream. "This is our living room, the TV is set up so I can play games, or we can watch regular TV. The couch is comfortable, but most of the time I just lay on the floor, or sit of I'm playing a game. I mean the controllers will reach, but being close up makes the action seem more real..."

Azami watching him as he rambled on. He was still very nervous, his heart beating hard in his chest. Azami was sure he'd faint any time now. "Dan, how about if we sit?" she said, interrupting him.

Dan gapped at her. "Ahhh, yeah, sure," he said, and sat down on the couch.

Taking a seat by him, she asked, "Why are you so upset? You sure no one is bothering you?"

"No," Dan said quickly.

"Is there something I can help you with?" she coaxed.

Dan froze briefly, then said, "Ahh, I just wanted you to see where I live."

"No, that's not right," Azami said, knowing there had to be more than that to it. "Dan, whatever it is, you can tell me."

Dan gazed into her eyes for a moment. He was about to say something, then broke his gaze, looking away. "Umm, thank you for coming," he said

Azami 's patience was wearing thin. Cupping his cheek, she made him look at her. "Dan, out with it. Whatever it is, it's OK, so please tell me," she said gently.

Dan gazed into her eyes. The eyes of someone who did for real, what he played games at. He soft hand on his cheek had punched out monsters that were real, not video creations you could hit a switch and make go away.

"Please?" she asked softly.

If he lied, she'd know. He felt it in his bones. He had to tell her something that wasn't a lie. "It's just," he began, and lost his nerve.

"It's OK," she said softly.

Her soft voice begged to be answered. Dan's face felt hot, he swore his ears were burning. In a rush, before he lost his nerve again, he blurted out, "It's just that I really like you, Azami!"

Azami grinned broadly. Pressing her lips together, she kept from laughing, that would be very rude of her to do to someone who just confessed to her. By his deep blush and his hesitancy in telling her, she had no doubt he was telling the truth. "I like you too, Dan," she offered. "Was that so hard?"

"Yeah, it was," Dan said, letting out an exhale.

Azami felt him relax. She was happy it was something so simple. She'd been worried he had a real problem at school. Sitting back, she asked, "I've never played video games before, Could you show me how?"

.

Azami found that although totally unreal, video games were interesting and it was easy to get absorbed in them. Fighting a zombie, she became a little tense and crushed the controller. She apologized profusely and promised to go buy another one. Dan didn't seem to mind, but she insisted on replacing it. By that time, it was getting close to dinner. She took the broken controller and headed home.

Passing a store on the way home, Azami went in and found out these controllers were sold in sets of two. She bought a set, sure the same accident might happen again if she wasn't careful.

.

First thing at school in the morning Azami went to Dan's home room and gave him the new controllers. Many of the students eyed her as Dan gratefully accepted them. On her way out, she heard others teasing him about 'having a girlfriend'.

That afternoon when school got out, Azami noted the school emptied out quickly. Usually, many students stayed for clubs or sporting events. It was like someone had ordered an evacuation of the school. Upon the bell marking the end of the day, everyone drained out the exits, leaving only confused teachers who headed the after school events in empty rooms. The sports coaches were pissed.

Going home, Azami tried to be cheerful, despite the night she knew she was going to have. She had it planned out. Pretend to do homework, get some rest while she could, than around nine thirty tell Mrs. Murphy she was going to bed, sneak out and get set to meet Black Court. With any luck, their leaders would be reasonable and everything would work out. She was ready in case it didn't.

Mrs. Murphy's car was in the driveway, apparently she had come home early. As Azami walked up the driveway, Mrs. Murphy came outside.

"Azami, There's something I have to show you," Murphy said and motioned to the car.

Azami got in the car as Murphy directed. She sat as Murphy drove into the city. Becoming curious, Azami asked, "Where are going?"

"Something at work I have to show you," Murphy said with a grimace of a smile. "I doubt you've ever seen these before."

"Seen what?" Azami asked.

"It's a surprise," Murphy assured her.

Their first stop was a restaurant. Azami wasn't really hungry, but Mrs. Murphy insisted she have something because they may run late. After a good meal that left Azami stuffed, she left with a full bottle of tomato juice in her belt pack to go see what this surprise was.

Murphy pulled into the station parking lot and took Azami in a side entrance. They went down a hall and to a steel door that had a man in a booth behind thick Plexiglas. Murphy put her badge up so the man could see it. He hit a buzzer and the steel door cracked open.

Azami noted the thick featureless walls and the lines of cage like doors to the sides. "Where are we?" she asked.

"City lockup. Turn around, hon," Murphy said.

Azami turned and let Mrs. Murphy put her hands behind her back.

Click. Click. The steel grating door in front of Azami opened as something clamped down on her wrists. Mrs. Murphy pushed her in. The door shut behind her.

Azami stared back through the bars in shock. "Mrs. Murphy?" she asked. Her hands were locked behind her.

"You're spending the night here," Murphy said firmly. "There's plenty of guards, no one will be able to get to you."

Mouth hanging open, Azami was stunned. "But..."

"But nothing!" Mrs. Murphy said firmly. "You'll be safe here. No one will bother you, there will be no fight, so lie down and try to get some rest. As of now, you are in protective custody."

"You ... can't do this!" Azami cried.

"It's DONE!" Murphy shot back. "I am sorry, but you are not going to go out and face who's knows what by yourself!"

Azami watched Murphy walk away. The steel door at the end shut, making a resounding boom echo down the hall. Irritated, Azami snapped the cuffs, then broke the pieces off her wrists. "This wasn't suppose to happen!" she grumbled.

A look at the window to the outside showed it was a thick metal mesh covering metal reinforced glass. Most likely loud if she broke it out. The bars to the cell were thick, but there was a weak spot. Azami grabbed the door beside the lock and on the frame. Drawing up her yokai energy, she pulled.

The squeak of strained metal filled the air. The lock deformed and the door buckled, then gave up with a loud pop. Walking out of the cell, Azami noted an air vent in the ceiling. She leaped up and grabbed a corner and bent it down, then pulled it loose. She dropped to lay the metal piece on the floor, then with a jump, climbed up in.

.

Parked beside the road that went by the park, Murphy noted the sun was going down. Spaced along intervals, plain cars and foot patrols kept a close watch on anyone entering the park. They were going to prevent whatever was suppose to happen here tonight.

.

Right after sundown Harry heard a tap on his door. Looking out, he saw the man who'd given him the money two nights ago. He checked his protections and answered the door.

"Who is it?" the man asked.

"You heard of that Shinso Princess that's in town?" Harry asked.

"Heard something about it, yeah."

"Well she's the one. She wants to see your bosses in the east side park, midnight. I'd be nice, if I were you," Harry said firmly.

The man cast Harry a crooked grin. "Well done," he said, and walked away.

Harry waited until the man was out of sight then held his hand out and drew his hockey stick towards him. "You will be 'well done'," he said under his breath. He left, locking the door behind him.

.

Dominick, the leader of Black court rose for the night. The two mindless servant girls hurried over and knelt before him. Inspecting each, he noted the blond was pale. She didn't have much left. "Up, on the table," he instructed. The girl climbed up and laid down. He sank his fangs into her neck and drained her. He drank until her heart fluttered, not having anything left to pump. Once he'd sucked her dry he pulled back and licked his lips. Pointing to the dead girl, he told the other one, "Down the disposal chute."

The brunette got up, grabbed the blond by an arm and dragged the body off the table to a hatch on the floor, She opened the hatch and pushed the blond down it.

Sated for the time being, Dominick made a mental note that he'd need another slave. Going out to the room with the long table, he noted Stan was sitting, waiting for him.

"That wizard came though, we have the culprit," Stan said. "That Shinso Princess that's in town killed the nineteenth street group. She wants to see you midnight, east side park."

"That will be handy," Dominick said with a grin. "Maybe we'll be taken seriously after we deal with her. She got any friends?"

"As far as we know, no." Stan said then said dismissively, "Maybe the humans she's staying with, but I doubt anyone substantial. So you thinking to get rid of her?"

Dominick eyed him. "Stan, must I explain again that we must have allies? Yes, the human pimps are below us, but they do supply us with our blood slaves. A couple slaves on the city council gives us good information, and being able to control the media keeps unwanted news out of the papers and off the televisions."

Casting Stan a frown, Dominick added, "No, Stan, we offer the Princess a peace offering and hear out what she has to say. We show our concern for her, and then offer our proposal. If she refuses to accept us as the ruling power in Chicago, THEN we drink her low and torture her until she agrees. We do not kill her, we will need her as a puppet. Backed by a Shinso Princess, Red Court, and everyone else will bow to us."

Stan grew a grin. "So you think six, seven boys will do the job?"

Dominick scoffed at him. "No! We are welcoming a Princess into our embrace. We take everyone. That way we can give her an offer she can't possibly refuse."

.

At the fancy club Red Court used as it's base, the tall brunette smiled at a patron as she slipped behind the bar in a graceful motion. With her close fitting, low necked red dress hugging her sexy figure and hair done up perfectly, men drooled at the sight of her.

"Hey, Bianca, got some time?" the man asked with a broad smile.

Casting him a lusty grin, Bianca winked. "Hold that thought, lover, business before pleasure you know." She noted the bartender, a light brown haired woman who also was dressed to draw men's eyes, motioned to her and went into the alcove behind the racks of liqueur.

Bianca followed her raising her eyebrows questioningly.

The brown haired woman whispered, "Our spy in Black court says they are gathering everyone."

"Against us?" Bianca asked.

"No, they are headed toward the east side park. From what she gathered, they are going to capture someone."

"Who?"

"We don't know yet."

Bianca frowned at nothing, then hummed and said, "I'll be back, maybe my good friend Harry can tell us something. Keep me posted."

Bianca exchanged her red dress for a form fitting dull black outfit with a cape. She knew whatever Black court was up to, it was to gain an upper hand over her. She couldn't have that. Knowing Dresden, he'd be in one of two places. If he knew nothing, he'd be at his shop. If he was privy to some information, he'd be hanging around Black court.

.

**10 PM**

Harry stood at the corner, using the building facade and an illusion to hid him from the vampires going in and out of Black court headquarters. He'd counted sixty for sure, possibly more. Apparently they were gathering every vampire they had to overwhelm Azami. They had to know she was powerful, and they would loose vampires as fast as she could swing. It looked like they were hoping to wear her down with numbers.

"Hi lover."

The whisper in his ear made jump and spin, heart in his throat. Harry's frightened gaze settled on Bianca. He tried to catch his breath as he stared at her bemused grin.

"Don't do that!" Harry gasped out.

"Awww," Bianca cooed as she gently rubbed his chest. "Here you're out playing, and I'm not invited?"

Harry flicked his eyes back to the guards a block and a half down. They hadn't seemed to notice. "What are you doing here?" he hissed.

Bianca peeked out down the street, then cast him a pout. "The same thing you're doing, Harry. Keeping an eye on them. So, what are they up to?"

"Gathering their members. Looks like all of them," Harry said, still recovering from his fright. "I doubt they would let you join their party."

"No, I suppose not," Bianca frowned. "What are they gathering for?"

"I think they plan on going after Princess Aono. She set up to meet them in the east side park. She killed three of them, and I don't think this meeting will be very social," Harry explained.

"Not good," Bianca said with a frown. "Then again, if we save her from them, that will look good for Red court," she mussed.

"No, Bianca," Harry said in a tired voice. "When they gather, I'm going to burn them all with a sun ball."

"You'll kill the Princess too!" Binaca said, shocked at his intent.

"No, she'll be all right. The sun doesn't affect her," Harry explained. "It will give her the edge to do ... whatever she has to do."

Bianca stared at him. "Harry, that is crazy! If you even harm the Princess, do you know how many people will be after your head?"

"Yeah, I know," Harry said in a dull tone. "Trust me, you don't want to be there."

Bianca pushed Harry against the side of the building. Not hard, but enough to show she was serious. "Harry, This is a vampire Princess. I HAVE to do something to help. You can tell me what you need done, or I'll knock you out and figure things out as I go."

Pressed hard against the wall, Harry forced a grin and said, "How can I resist your charm. You talked me into it."

.

The Captain of the night shift came over to Murphy. "You were right, somethings' gong down. A patrol spotted gangbangers coming down East ave. About three hundred of them, boys and girls, all carrying sticks and of all things, super-soakers. They're wearing crosses around their necks too."

"Hey captain!" another officer said as he ran up. "We got another four hundred or so gangbangers coming from the north. You'll never guess what they're packin."

"Sticks and super-soakers?"

"How'd you know?"

"Captain!" another officer called, "It looks like every biker and car nut is collecting in the mall parking lot to the south. We got three different gang colors there and a bunch of kids, all carrying sticks and waterguns. We estimate there's around four hundred of them."

Looking confused, the Captain turned to Murphy and asked, "What in the hell is going on?"

"Hey Murphy!" Kirmani called as he came up to her. "The guards checked on your kid. She broke out. Cuffs broken on the floor, and the cell door was pushed in like a hydraulic ram or something ripped it from it's tracks. A vent cover was yanked from the ceiling. The whole station is looking for her, but so far they can't find her."

"DAMN!" Murphy spat.

"We're going to need more men for crowd control," the Captain stated. "We'll look for the kid later."

.

Harry knew the destination. Bianca winced at riding in his jeep, but it was that or walk. Coming to the park entrance, he noted a pair of patrol cars, and policemen out on foot. "Can you get us by them?" he asked.

"Pull up on the other side of the street," she instructed.

Harry did. They got out. Bianca ran across the street wearing her best stricken face. "Officers!" she called, hurrying towards them.

It didn't take long for all four officers to gather around Bianca, wanting to help this poor, drop-dead gorgeous woman. Behind her, she motioned Harry past as she said in a hypnotic tone, "Thank you fine gentlemen for assisting us. You are going to watch me walk away down the street, and feel good you have helped a lady in distress." As Bianca backed into the park with Harry, the officers looked down the street, smiling.

Harry hadn't ever realized how big this park was. Taking up four city blocks, there were paths, ponds, playgrounds and clumps of woods everywhere. Bianca sensed a vampire and steered Harry around one clump of trees. Coming upon the pavilion in the center of the park, Harry picked a place to watch from. He sat down on a log just inside the closest group of trees and patted the spot beside him.

"Have a seat, I'll cast an obscurement," he said. Bianca sat by him. Harry cast his spell, and the pair disappeared from sight.

.

Azami sat on the edge of an apartment house roof, looking out over the park. She had been expecting very few people to be around. Quite the opposite, the streets marking the edges of the park were lined with police. People were everywhere outside the park, and here and there, people had gotten into the park. Off to her right, a large group were gathered with a few police. below and to her left, a smaller group were talking to some police. She noted Mrs. Murphy was down there. So much for having a private meeting.

Not far away, vampires, by the feel of them, were trickling into the park. She watched one rush in and hurry to a flower garden where he got down low in the center, effectively making himself disappear. Another kept low and tucked up against the back side of a bench. Here and there, vampires crept in and humans sneaked in to use trees as cover, again, picking out their hiding spots. Some groups were close to each other. A pack of boys trotted right past a concealed vampire to drop down behind a hedge row.

"This wasn't suppose to happen," Azami mussed. She was going to need help to avoid a disaster.

Azami walked back to the middle of the roof, then turned and charged the edge. In a long leap, she flew over the street, aiming herself at a large tree inside the park. At the apex of her flight, she was grabbed from behind.

"Here sweetie, I'll take you."

Azami looked up and her face broke into a smile. "Mama Kurumu!"

"Yes, dear, You have done very well by yourself. Your Papa has one task for you tonight, we'll take care of the rest of it."


	27. Chapter 27

CH 66

11 PM – East side park

"What are you doing here?" the police captain asked the large pack of stick and water gun toting teenagers who wanted to go into the park.

"Cleanup!" the youth in the front announced. Holding up his stick, he said, "Ya know, pick up garbage, clean up graffiti," he said, holding up his water gun. "We all decided it was time to be like civic minded."

"Why not a bucket and sponge?" an officer asked.

"Cause these are cool," another boy said with a grin, holding up his double canistered water gun.

"It was suppose to be a surprise," A girl piped up. "Ya know, in the morning, the park's spotless, and everyone's happy."

"Right," the night Captain said with a snort. "You're tell me me that all you kids just want to go in and clean the park in the middle of the night. With all these other gangbangers who're coming in. it's just gonna be one big cleanup party."

"Yeah! We all got together and agreed. Right guys?" a youth in front asked, and received a roar of agreement from the crowd behind him.

"You can join us too, Officer! Come with us if you think we're gonna start trouble," another boy offered.

Other groups were telling the same story. It was a huge community cleanup effort. Perplexed, the Night Captain didn't have a clue what spurred fifteen hundred young people to descend on the park at night to spruce the place up. If a rumble was planned though, he didn't think there would be members of opposing gangs standing side by side. They sure as hell wouldn't bring water guns to a gang fight.

Begrudgingly, the Captain allowed the youngsters into the park, with police escorts.

.

Murphy and Kirmani were given perimeter duty, a section of sidewalk edging the park. The place was busy, kids and young adults everywhere, all poking the ground with sticks, hunting for garbage idly as their eyes searched around them and they stayed in large packs. It was obvious they were here for something else besides 'cleanup', but no one was making any aggressive moves.

Murphy then noticed Anna and her friends walking along, scanning the area as they idly stabbed random bits of discarded paper and cups. She went over to them.

"Anna, I didn't know you organized this event," Murphy said, eyeing her daughter.

Anna froze briefly. "Ahh, Hi Mom. Yeah, we all thought it would be nice to clean up the park. You know, set a good example and all that."

"And this gathering is to help Azami," Murphy said.

Craig cast Murphy a surprised look and asked, "How you find out?"

Anna kicked Craig in the ass. "Idiot!" she spat.

Craig cast a hurt look at Anna. "What? she already knows!"

"She does NOW!" Anna growled.

"Anna, spill it," Murphy ordered.

.

Harry heard sounds all around him. He knew Bianca did also, she kept watching intently in one direction, then another. The flapping sound took them both by surprise. From above, a blue haired, winged female demon came down to land, holding Azmai. Azami hugged the female demon, and the demon shot back up into the sky. Azami took a seat on a bench, facing the pavilion.

Looking up, Harry studied the sky and noted it was not empty. Besides the one demon, he saw another female with bat wings, and a few dragon types circling overhead.

"Here."

The voice got Harry's attention. He saw a man in combat gear and carrying a riot shotgun hand something to Azami. Besides the man was a dark haired girl in a long sleeve black shirt and pants was holding katanas in both hands, laid back along her arms. The pair ran over to the pavilion and climbed up into the roof supports.

Softly, Bianca said, "Princess, we are here to help you. Harry Dresden and Bianca of Red court."

Azami turned her head and nodded at them.

Harry swallowed. He had the feeling this was going to be much bigger than he'd thought.

.

11:30 PM

Dominick walked slowly through the park. Human heartbeats were everywhere around him. Not just a few, hundreds in every direction. With him were thirty of his strongest vampires. the rest were scattered around the immediate area to keep anyone from interfering. Up ahead he saw the pale pink haired girl sitting on a bench by herself. In the open, completely exposed. Either she was overconfident, or a complete fool. Being young, he was sure she was trusting her status to ensure her safety.

"Jay, take four, circle around to the left, Cash, take four, circle around behind her, Mark, take four around to the right. Stan, stay back with the rest. If I call, come fast. We'll need to overwhelm her and subdue her quickly if it comes to that. GO." Dominick told them.

Dominick stood and waited for his vampires to get into position. As they did, he noted a pair of his vampires coming down a side path, holding a battered young man between them.

Coming up to him, the vampires forced the tall, beaten youth to his knees. "He stumbled upon us. What do we do with him?"

Dominick smiled. "We shall present him as a gift to her Majesty. bring him along."

"Fuck you," the youth spat as he tried to struggle. A few cuffs to his head that slapped his head one way then the other quieted him down.

"Having a bad night?" Dominick asked the boy. "Well, it's going to get worse. That little bit of blood you're leaking out now is nothing. Shortly, you'll be drained dry. You are about to become a meal for a vampire princess. You should feel honored."

The youth's head lolled, he managed to look up at Dominick with pure hate in his swollen, dark purple eyes. Blood spit out as he spoke lethargically, "We're gonna kick your mutherfukin ass, you ..."

His words were cut off as a vampire punched him, making his head snap to the side.

Dominick strolled along, taking his time, the two vampires dragging their gift by his arms between them.

.

Azami felt them getting closer, and knew they were all around her now. The one walking slow passed by the pavilion. She noted two more behind him. She itched to stand up and confront them, but she'd been told to sit and appear relaxed until the last second. She did turn her microphone on that Frank gave her. The dark man approaching her stopped on the other side of the path.

"Princess?" he asked with a half bow.

"Yes, and you are?" Azami asked.

"I am Dominick, leader of Black court. I bring a gift," he said with a grand gesture.

The two vampires behind him drug the youth out and dropped him prone in front of her. They quickly backed away.

Azami felt anger course through her. Getting up, she rolled him over to confirm what she already felt. She glared at Dominick. "A gift you say?" she asked in a hard tone.

"Yes, he should have enough blood for a few days at least," Dominick said in a mussing tone.

"He is already mine," Azami said harshly. "You're the one who wanted to see me. State your business."

.

Gerald Johnson AKA 'Cloudhead' came around hurting all over. Over him, Speedbump was glaring at the men who'd beaten on him. It had felt like they were hitting him with hammers instead of fists.

"It is simple, Princess," the one with the wide brimmed hat said. "We will be you advisors. We keep you in blood and comfortable, and you let us take care of all the details."

"And let you treat everyone, even you own kind like nothing but animals? I don't think so," Azami said with a snort. "I have a better idea, get down on you knee and swear loyalty to my father, then I will tell you how you will conduct business." Azami said firmly.

Gerald looked up at her. Speedbump was a Princess? He had to be hearing things.

"Princess," the man said heavily, "This is your last chance to be reasonable."

"Enough talk!" Azami snapped. "On you knee, or I will PUT you there!"

'Wow', Gerald though. 'Speedbump does have some spunk. But why in front of these monsters?'

"GRAB HER!" the man bellowed.

Two men flew at Azami, Azami turned into a blur of motion. One man went flying, the other exploded into dust.

Azami landed, crouched for battle. A red glow lit her eyes, her mouth sported a grin that showed fangs.

Her words seemed to drive right through Gerald. "RUBY, NOW!"

Above, he watched the moon and some stars go out, like someone had turned them off. The sky was black. Screams, war cries and flashes of light assaulted Gerald's ears. Then the sun, small and right over the pavilion burst into being, followed by wails of pain. A shotgun blasted out several times in rapid succession. Far to the side he swore he saw a what looked like a dragon swoop down and breathe fire on some men who thrashed and wailed out in agony. A white haired woman with red eyes and a snarling fang filled mouth jumped over him, brandishing a pair of katanas. The ground rumbled, he briefly saw Speedbump with her glowing eyes and fangs, land beside another snarling man, kicking him so hard he flew away like a rag doll. More agonized screams wailed out in a chorus.

Dazed by the ferocity of the fight going on around and over top of him, Gerald lay with wide eyes, sure that somehow, he was dead and he was seeing his first glimpse of hell. A winged blue haired woman shot down out of the sky, and sliced a man open with her long claws, taking his head and one arm off before she shot back up out of sight.

Speedbump's face appeared over his. He looked right into those terrifying glowing eyes.

"Lie still, don't move!" she ordered. She looked up, snarled at something, showing her fangs, and shot away again.

Gerald lay as still as possible as the war from hell raged over him.

.

"What is THAT?" Murphy asked as she stared at the black dome that now covered most of the park. In the park she could see, some kids poked the wall of the dome with their sticks. A mighty roar sounded from within, everyone near the dome backed up, brandishing their sticks at the wall.

Murphy ran towards the groups. "Everyone, get back!" she yelled.

A bullhorn announced, "THIS IS THE POLICE. EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE PARK!"

From far to the right, someone screamed, "WE GOT ONE!" The announcement was followed by some yells, an unearthly scream that was cut off, then cheering.

Another voice yelled, "The demon was hiding in the brush on the ground! Everyone, check low, poke bushes, checkup in the trees too. let's clean'em out!"

Murphy pulled her gun. Around her, kids were stabbing brush with their sticks as others held their water guns on the piles being stabbed.

Another bullhorn announcement came. "YO listen up! Start at the wall of the dome and work out to the streets, If they're hidin, we'll drive them out! Where there's one, there's more. And cops! Let us work, there ARE demons here, we gotta get rid of them!"

"MOM!" Anna called as she hefted her super-soaker. "Get down here, behind us! Guns won't kill these things!" Several of Anna's friends also called and waved for Murphy to get behind them. Murphy did, wanting to get between them and whatever might come out of that wall. Getting closer to the wall, she heard more far sounding screams of agony and another powerful roar that she'd previously heard only in movies.

For how crazy it was out here, she couldn't imagine what was going on inside that gigantic dome.

.

Azami stood near where Gerald lay. In a circle, she, Moka Jr. Frank with his shotgun, Liz with her katanas, Kumiko, and Akemi looked for anything else threatening them. Piles and scatterings of dust lay all around them.

Outside the tree line where they had been hiding, Harry stood gapping at Moka, Bianca gripped the back of his coat, using him as a shield.

"I came here to help, tell them Harry!" Bianca cried as she cowered behind Harry.

"**Who are you**?" Moka asked Harry as she eyed him dangerously.

Wide-eyed, Harry said in an even tone as he could manage, faced with this terrifying woman, "Harry Dresden, Ma'am. I bought Bianca to help Azami. We didn't know anyone else was coming."

Moka called to the side, "**Azami! Do you know these people**?"

"Yeah, that's Harry Dresden, he's a good guy!" Azami called back. "If he says that lady with him is OK, then she is."

A begging cry sounded out. "Please, I'm not Black court! I am a spy for Red Court, don't kill me!"

Moka turned to see Mizore dragging a block of ice by it's hair. She had frozen the woman within up to her neck. Pulling hard, which made the woman yelp in pain, Mizore slid the imprisoned woman over by Harry.

Pointing to her, Mizore said to Moka, "Wouldn't fight."

"Yes! Becky is one of my spies, she'd not Black court!" Bianca said loudly.

Moka pointed to the ground by her and said, "**Bianca, is it? Come out here where I can see you**."

Meekly, Bianca came out from behind Harry, allowing Harry to fall back in his butt. "We've been at odds with Black court for a long time. Thank you for your help, we..."

"**Silence" **Moka snapped.

Bianca shut up and lowered her head.

Kurumu flew down and landed beside Moka. "That's it, we got all the other ones. The only ones left alive are these here. Ruby's sending the dragons back."

Moka nodded to her. Motioning to Harry, Bianca and the woman encased in ice, she said, "**They are going back with us. Get them ready."**

Moka walked over to cast a critical eye on Gerald, then went over to Azami. **"You have done very well, my child. Your Papa and I are very proud of you. Do you wish to come home?" **

Azami beamed Moka a smile. "Thank you, Mama Moka! Thank you too for the offer, but I promised Papa I would stay the whole school year. Besides, I think there's people outside who are going to want some kind of explanation for what happened here."

Moka smiled at her daughter. **"Again, we are proud of you, Azami. Choose your words well, and give them something they can accept. We'll be going now. Everyone, to the pavilion!"**

Mizore added an ice handle on the woman in ice. She picked the woman up by the handle and walked to the pavilion. Harry stepped aside and waved goodbye to Bianca as she walked to the pavilion. Kurumu smacked him on the shoulder and pointed.

"I'm not a vampire," Harry said with a shrug.

Kurumu shot her long nail out of her pointing finger.

"Not that it matters," Harry added with a wince, and followed Bianca.

Akemi ran over and gave Azami a hug. "You did great! Don't you want to come home? It's almost your birthday."

"I'll stay, just like I promised. We're not done here yet." Azami told her. Cracking a grin, she said, "If Aiden could come stay for a bit ... I guess not though, huh."

Akemi giggled and said, "No, sister, no riding the wolf in the city."

They both fell into a fit of giggles.

"**Akemi, come! Azami, the dome will stay up until Ruby leaves. Stay well, my child!" **

Azami went over by Gerald and waved to them. "Bye Mama Moka, Mama Mizore, Mama Kurumu, Aunt Ruby, Akemi, Frank, Liz, Kumiko, and Moka Junior!" She then turned to Gerald and said, "OK, you can move now."

Gerald tried and winced. "Too sore," he complained.

Azami bent down, put his arm around her, then with one hand under his back and the other behind his knees, she picked him up. Gerald winced. Seeing a flash, he looked at the pavilion. The silver haired Moka was the only one left. She then took a step and vanished with a flash.

"Who were they?" he asked.

"That was my family. Well, many of them. It was awful nice of Harry and his friend to come try and help too," Azami said as she carried him up a path.

"That's some family," Gerald said, his mind still reeling from what he'd seen. "So, you're a Princess? Like got your own throne and shit like that?"

Azami laughed. "No, Cloudhead, no throne. Only Gramma Akasha has a throne. She's the Queen."

"The guys ain't gonna believe this shit."

"Ah, we can't tell anyone what happened," Azami said in a serious tone. "Just say we got attacked, we didn't see who it was ... and that's all we know. Really, Cloudhead, we can't say any more."

Staring at her, he said, "Ya know, Speedbump, I got the feelin you do a lot more of shit like this than the rest of us will ever know."

"Eh, sometimes people need saving, or someone needs their asses kicked," Azami replied off hand.

He let out a chuckle, then winced and groaned, "Those guys fucked me up good."

"Hold on, I'll get you an ambulance."

.

Everyone had made it to the streets. The flashing lights of cop cars and a couple ambulances flickered off the buildings around the park. A helicopter flew overhead. Murphy was looking at the dome, wondering where it came from when suddenly it vanished.

The radio announced, "Two individuals coming out of the park, south east entrance. Small girl carrying a young man."

Murphy ran to the entrance as did a mob behind her. Coming up the wide path out of the park, Azami was carrying a large black man. What Murphy could see of Azami half hidden by the man she carried, Azami's clothes were dirty and there was a long rip down the backside of her blouse and cloth was hanging off her shoulder. A pair of paramedics ran towards her with a stretcher. Lifting the man, Azami laid him down on the stretcher. The paramedics took him away as a loud cheer went up.

Scanning the park, Murphy didn't see anyone else. A group of officers ran into the park. She could now see Azami bore several cuts in her clothes. A paramedic put a blanket around Azami's shoulders.

"There's no one else in the park!" Azami called to crowd.

Azami was immediately confronted by Detective Kirmani.

"What happened in there?" he asked.

Azami shrugged and said, "We go attacked by someone. We didn't see who it was, they ran away."

"You didn't see?" Kirmani asked in disbelief as he eyed her ripped up clothes. "You must have seen something! Clothes, hair color, skin color..." he prodded.

"I was scared, I shut my eyes," Azami said innocently.

"Excuse me!" Murphy said firmly as she came up beside Azami and put an arm around her. "Let's get her checked out first."

They walked past Kirmani as he stared at them.

Bending down close to Azami's ear, Murphy asked in a demand, "Azami! How did you get here?"

Azami offered Murphy a brief smile and said, "Later, please, Mrs. Murphy. Right now, I have to talk to everyone."

Azami went to an officer who had a bullhorn. "May I please use that?" she asked in a hypnotic tone. He gave it to her. She stepped up onto the hood of his car and walked up onto the roof. A cameraman had gotten into the crowd, and was filming her. Azami stared intently at the bullhorn and said something in Japanese. She then brought it up to her mouth and her words rung loud and clearer that any bullhorn Murphy had ever heard before. It sounded more like concert speakers.

"May I have your attention, please!"

Azami paused and eyed the crowds of mostly stick wielding young adults. "For those of you who don't know me, I am Azami Aono. Some of you call me 'Speedbump'. Tonight you have all come together to support me. I am humbled, and thank you for your efforts. This is a night we all need to remember." she paused again, then said, "Not because of the threat, but because of how we all came together because of that threat. I see many people who normally don't like each other very much, standing side by side. Look around you, everyone! You all came together in a time of need. Please, keep this spirit of cooperation up. Yes, we are all different, yes, we come from different backgrounds. That does not matter. What does matter is that we all work together for the good of everyone."

Azami paused again, then said, "Papa always told me everyone deserves a second chance. I am asking all of you, give that second chance to those around you. If we can come together to fight a menace, then we can come together to make this the best city there is! I ask everyone, please, no matter who or what you are, to help me make this city a safe and nice place to be for everyone. Thank you for listening." Azami then bowed down one way, turned and bowed the other way. As she stepped down from the roof of the police car, a thunderous cheer arose.

"Miss Aono!" a reporter asked as she met Azami as she dropped down from the hood. "Can you tell us, what was that thing in the park? How did you, being so small, carry that young man in your arms like that?"

Azami looked at Murphy. Murphy shook her head. Azami told the woman, "I'm sorry, it is past my bed time. I have to go home now."

The night Captain took the bullhorn from Azami. Unlike her loud, clear voice, his bore the normal amplified scratch. "All right people, it's over! Everyone clear the streets and go home!"

The reporter tried to get close to Azami as Murphy led her away. She was blocked by the crowd wanting to give Azami high-fives. Murphy got Azami and Anna into the car. While they waited for the crowd to disperse enough to leave, Murphy looked back at Azami through the rear view mirror and asked, "Where's Dresden?"

"Mama Moka took him back home. I think Papa wants to talk to him," Azami replied.

Murphy gave a slight nod and asked, "Are you hurt?"

"No. My clothes are ruined, but I'm OK."

"What in the hell was that dome?"

"What dome?"

Murphy noted the innocent way Azami was looking at her. She was only going to say so much. The rest would be denial. "I won't press you tonight, but tomorrow you have some explaining to do."

"Yes, Mrs. Murphy," Azami said with a sigh.

.

From his chair in his office, Tsukune eyed the three nervous looking people in from of his desk. The human, well, mostly human man gripped his hockey stick beside the very pretty brunette vampire who was also acting meek. Apparently Moka's presence to one side, and Liz's presence on the other was keeping her docile. The third one with burnt skin from getting her out of the ice block Mizore had cast around her was in pain from water damage. Minori had gotten her a chair so she could sit. The woman was dry now, but not comfortable, being red skinned from the neck down.

Tsukune focused on the man first. "You are Harry Dresden?"

"That's me," Harry said with a nervous nod. "We only wanted to help Azami."

"I know. Azami has said good things about you. No need to be so nervous," Tsukune assured him. "This woman beside you is who?"

"Ah, this is Bianca, from Red Court," Harry said, motioning to her. "She only wanted to do what she could to help also."

"And why is that, Miss Bianca?" Tsukune asked.

In a serious tone, Bianca said, "I know how black court works. They wanted to grab the Princess and make her their puppet. I could not allow that to happen."

"They would have had an advantage over you," Tsukune said.

"Yes ... and they would have hurt her, which would have brought down your wrath, like it obviously did. We support the Shinso dynasty," she said firmly.

Tsukune nodded. "A wise thing to do to ensure your own position remains stable. Tell me, Bianca, how do you get your blood?"

Bianca raised an eyebrow at his question. "Same as every other vampire," she said, not quite understanding what he was asking. "We have a club that provides among other things, adult services. Patrons come in, they want sex, we want blood. We make them happy, we are satisfied, and the club does well in profits from the bar and the restaurant."

"You don't drain them dry?" Tsukune asked.

Bianca frowned at him and said, "Your Majesty, If we did that, then we would run out of clients as well as arouse suspicion. We want happy customers to tell their friends and keep coming back."

"Smart woman," Tsukune said appraisingly. "Minori, would you please get these ladies a tall glass of warm blood? They have had quite a night."

"Yes, Lord Aono," Minori said with a bow, and left.

Tsukune leaned forward, elbows on his desk. "Bianca, we are working at promoting good human and yokai relations. Apparently, your business is not harming that goal. Tell me, in your opinion, if your patrons knew you were vampires, would they still come visit your establishment?"

"I don't think so. We would probably be hunted down, like has happened in the past," Bianca said with a touch of anger.

"And that is due to vampires killing humans," Tsukune said firmly. "You must take care NOT to kill humans for food, Bianca. I am sure you already know this, but I insist. As far as any remaining Black court goes, or any who are like them, feel free to bring them under rein or destroy them. We will assist you, as will Mr. Dresden. Good relations with humans will help them and us. The road will be long, but we must be patient and steadfast in our belief it will eventually happen."

"Ah, Mr. Aono?" Harry asked. "Will there be ... compensation for my help?"

The meek way he asked it made Tsukune laugh. "Yes, of course, Mr. Dresden. Your standard rate. And Bianca, you and your court do well and there will be rewards. We must be able to trust you first."

Bianca's face lit up. She bowed and said, "Thank you, your Majesty."

Seeing Minori come in with a tray holding the glasses of blood, Tsukune said, "Take your glass and have a seat. There are a few other items I wish to discuss with you. Yukari, could you see Mr. Dresden home?"

"Certainly. This way, Mr. Dresden."

.

In the morning, Detective Kirmani went to the hospital to see Gerald Johnson. Murphy was typing up Azami Aono's witness account of what happened in the park, which boiled down to : they didn't see who attacked them, the attackers fled, and she knew nothing about any dome over them. Total bullshit.

Walking in Johnson's hospital room, Kirmani knocked on the frame. Johnson was awake. "Mr. Johnson?" he asked, and showed his badge. "I'm detective Kirmani. I'd like to ask you a few questions about last night."

Wrapped in bandages Gerald let out a grunt and said, "Don't know nuthin. Someone jumped me, Speedbump carried me out. That's about it."

"Yes, that little Asian girl. She's what, about one third your size? How do you think she managed that?"

"Don't know. Just glad she did."

Kirmani eyed him, "And you didn't see anything?" he asked.

"Nope. Nuthin."

"What about these demons? I heard there were a lot of them. One boy told me there was suppose to be an army of them... with some type of big animals with them," Kirmani prodded. "Many people heard loud roars."

"I'm tellin ya man, I was out cold. I got whacked, then the next thing I knew, Speedbump was carrying me."

"You're willing to let these thugs get away with this?" Kirmani asked.

Gerald let out a chuckle. Them getting away. That was funny. "I can't tell ya what I didn't see," he said.

"You're not being pressured to keep quiet, say from this Speedbump girl?" Kirmani asked.

"Told ya what I know. Nothing," Gerald stated as he eyed Kirmani.

Kirmani let out a sigh. "Well, Mr. Johnson, it looks like we'll just have to bring Miss Aono in and put her back in jail."

"What shit you talkin?"

Acting surprised, Kirmani said, "You didn't know? Miss Aono was in jail. She broke out, which makes her an escaped prisoner. We think she's the one who assaulted you since there was no one else around. The assault charge is circumstantial, but pretty solid. She'll get more time for escaping. Combined, I'd say she's bound for at least three years in juvenile hall. Either that, or deportation. It depends upon the judge. With the assault, I'd say it's going to be time in juvie before she's shipped back home."

"Speedbump did not assault me!" Gerald stated loudly.

"You just said you didn't see who it was, Mr. Johnson. From what we've seen, she is certainly strong enough to be the perp. You were the only two in the park," Kirmani told him.

"So what was she in jail for?" Gerald asked in a challenge.

Kirmani shrugged. "Not sure, that's not my case. Whatever it was, she committed a crime. Now, we have her up on assault charges. That is, unless you can remember something about what happened."

Gerald let out another chuckle that made him wince in discomfort. "You really think you're gonna put Speedbump in jail and she's gonna stay there? You got no clue who you're fuckin with!"

Kirmani suppressed a grin. Mr. Johnson was getting angry, which meant truth would spill out. In a sarcastic tone, he asked, "Then tell me, Mr. Johnson. Just who are we fucking with?"

Glaring at Kirmani, Gerald said, "All I can tell ya is messin with Speedbump and her family is a VERY bad idea. They'll come down on you like God's own wrath, and there won't be SHIT you can do but beg for mercy!"

"Is that what happened to you?"

"No, Speedbump saved my ass from shit that'll make you piss your pants. That badge and that gun won't help you one damn bit. If you wanna know what happened, You'll have to talk to Speedbump. I ain't sayin shit!"

Kirmani let out a huff. "Guess I'll have to bring her in," he mussed.

"Good luck with that."

"Hope you get better soon, have a good day, Mr. Johnson," Kirmani said, flashed him a quick smile and left.

Kirmani had gotten something with his bluff. He had already seen the paperwork for reimbursing the station for the destruction of the cell, although no one believed that a four and a half foot, skinny Asian girl could possibly bend those steel bars. Since they had no legal right to put Azami Aono behind bars to begin with, the chief had accepted payment for damages and chewing out Murphy to close the matter.

There was nothing he could charge Miss Aono with, and he was sure even if he did find something, it wouldn't stick. This girl was as bad as Dresden, neck deep in trouble, but coming away clean.

.

By the time Harry picked up his jeep and got home, the sun was coming up for another day. He parked his jeep on the side of the building and rubbed his tired face. Hockey stick dangling from his hand, He went around to his front door, wondering what he had gotten himself into. Harry didn't even like vampires. He'd agreed to watch the little neck biter because Murphy was in a pinch. Now, he was working for them. It wasn't that he didn't like Azami, she was personable, and even when she talked him into letting her bite his neck, she'd made it seem pleasant. And now, her father had hired him. He'd seen what they could do. You don't say 'no' to people that powerful.

Thinking about when Azami had bitten him, he remembered all too well the feeling of holding her close as she sucked on his neck, which actually felt ... intimate. If she would have sucked him dry, he would have died a very happy man.

Harry snapped himself out of that daydream as he reached his door. Angry at himself for fondly remembering that moment, he smacked himself in the head as he hissed, "Bad Dresden, bad Dresden!" .

"Yes, bad Dresden," Ancient Mai said from behind him.

Harry spun to face her. He knew that look, she wasn't happy with him. He also saw Morgan behind her with a grim face and holding that spear. "Umm, if want to come in for some tea, all you have to do is ask," he asked with a silly grin.

"Yes, and while we do, you can tell me what happened last night," Mai said, glaring at him.


	28. Chapter 28

Ch 67

Harry went to sit, and was helped down into a chair by Morgan with a rough push on the shoulder.

Ancient Mai, who now bore the look of a young Chinese girl, stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest. Casting him a hard glare, she asked, "How many?"

"How many what?" Harry asked, confused.

"DEAD, Dresden. How many dead? Not to mention the fact enough magic was cast in the middle of the city to alert every human for a hundred miles around," Mai growled as she slowly walked around his chair. "Large Conjurings that made it on the news, as well as the Princess herself was shown AND the statements of a few young people claiming they had killed a demon. VERY public actions that should not have happened. Dresden, I left YOU in charge of making sure there would be no problems during her highness' visit."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Hey, Mai, none of that was ..."

His words were cut off as Mai cracked him across the face. Recovering from the punch, Harry asked indignantly, "What was that for?"

"I didn't know I needed a reason," Mai stated, and punched him again.

"Whoa, hold on!" Harry begged as he held his hurting jaw. "Look, Mai, Black Court was coming to kidnap Azami ..."

CRACK. Mai whacked him across the face again. "PRINCESS to you, Dresden!" Mai snapped.

"Yeah, OK, OK! Princess," Harry said, wincing from the abuse. "Anyway, Black Court tried to grab her and the Aono's showed up, like half the family. They destroyed Black Court, then took me, Bianca, and one of her bloodsuckers when they left. The only thing I did ..."

"What was Bianca doing there?" Mai asked, interrupting him.

"How do I know?" Harry cried. "She showed up to help Azami." Right after he said that, he braced himself as Mai's arm cocked back for a good windup on his face.

Mai's arm was caught. Mai turned to see Azami holding her forearm. Azami's eyes were glowing angrily. Before Mai could say anything, Azami squeezed. The sound of bones crushing accompanied Mai's wail of pain as she dropped to her knees.

"**I did warn you**," Azami said in a powerful voice that penetrated everyone present. "**If you have a problem with what I, or my family does, you talk to my father. You do NOT harass Harry Dresden. DO I make myself clear**?"

Her face reflecting the pain of her arm that looked like it had a new elbow joint in the middle of her forearm that was being held in a tight grip by Azami, Mai grimaced and nodded, unable to speak.

"**Show yourselves out and do not let this happen again**," Azami growled. She then threw Mai's arm to the side, which made Mai howl out in pain again and fall to the floor. Hissing out in pain, Mai got up with Morgan's help. Cradling her broken arm, Mai walked hunched over as Morgan led her out.

Harry gapped at the scene. "Ohh, now that's not good," he mumbled. Mai was sure to be pissed off. When she recovered, there'd be hell to pay. "Not good at all," he grumbled.

Azami pulled her yokai power in. bending down to bring her face close to Harry's, Azami asked, "You OK?"

"Ah, yeah, but you know you may have just started a war," Harry told her.

"Naw," Azami said, brushing away his concern. "Dragons are big and tough, but when shown their place, they back down pretty fast."

Harry had always figured Mai was something like a dragon. He was just surprised Azami knew. "Still, you better smooth things over," he told her.

"If I'm in trouble, I'll deal with it," Azami said with a shrug. Brightening up, she said,"Hey, Harry, I got the day off from school. Can you show me some of your wizards stuff? I know how Mama Yukari does magic, I wanted to know if you do similar things, or something completely different."

"Azami, I'm kind a tired," Harry said, hoping she'd get the hint.

Bob appeared, wearing a bright smile. "Good day, your Majesty. Just in time to save the day again," he said pleasantly and bowed to her. "Since Harry has had a rough night, perhaps I might assist you?"

"Bob," Harry said in a groan," She does not need to learn black magic."

Bob stared a Harry indignantly. "I am shocked you would suggest such a thing, Harry! Her Majesty only wishes to learn the fundamentals of sorcery from a wizard's point of view. Is that not correct, your Majesty?"

"It is, Bob," Azami agreed. Putting on her best pouty, begging face, she asked, "Harry is it OK if I hang out with Bob for a while?"

Harry scrubbed his head. A sign reading 'BAD IDEA' flashed in his head. Still, he nodded and said, "All right, but NO casting, and be very careful. And stay out of the jars on the shelves!"

"Will do, thank you Harry!" Azami said happily, and hugged him.

Harry patted her back and got a sudden flash of memory. Azami gently holding him, him holding her as she sucked on his neck, sending pleasant tingles all through him. Gasping from the vision, he pushed her back. "Thank you, but I have to get some work done. The mundane, bill paying kind," he said, not quite looking at her.

"OK, we won't bother you," Azami assured him.

.

Azami had a good time sitting in Harry's lab, listening to Bob explain sorcery as they practiced it. She share with him the basics of witchcraft, and found the two to be very similar. The most common thread

was to be successful at either, one had to be yokai. Humans could just not draw up the power needed to cast spells. Therefore, she didn't know what kind of yokai Harry was, but he had enough in him to make his spells work.

Azami showed Bob the few things she could do. Yukari's pan spell, a simple amplification spell that caused devices to work better. The one she was most proud of was duplicating one of Kanae's mind Hands. She had figured out how to make her own invisible appendage. Though she could only do one, she could make it last as long as she kept her concentration.

Coming out of the lab to see if Harry wanted lunch, Azami found Harry dead asleep, sprawled over his desk. Azami carefully leaned Harry back in his chair then picked him up, chair and all and took him into the living room to set him down by the couch. She got Harry out of his chair. In getting him to the couch, Harry murmured something. The arm draped over her, curled to hold her in front of Harry as he slept sitting up, Azami let him unconsciously pull her close.

"Harry, are you having a nice dream?" Azami asked softly.

"Oh yeah," Harry murmured with a sleepy smile.

Sitting on his lap, Azami whispered in his ear,"What about?" she asked.

His arm around her slid gently up and down her side. "So sweet," he mumbled, and nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Ahh!" Azami gasped as her eyes flew open. "Harry," she squeaked as her legs clapped together.

"Azami," Harry mumbled. He kissed her neck and held her close.

Azami's eyes fluttered. Breathing heavier, she opened her mouth, her fangs showing clearly. "Harry, I ... need a nip," she whined.

Harry didn't resist as Azami laid him flat on the couch, nor did he loosen his hold on her. He snored once, then kissed her neck again, sending shivers down her spine.

"Ah" Azami squeaked out again. One hand planted on the edge of the couch, Azami put an arm around Harry's shoulders and adjusted him so she could reach his neck. "You really like me?" She panted softly in his ear.

"yeah ... Azami, my princess," Harry mumbled.

Behind the couch, Bob looked down on them with a worried look.

Azami sank her fangs into Harry's neck. Harry let out a joyful gasp an held her tight, one hand on the back of her head.

Azami drew slowly. Very slowly, just tasting his delicious blood. Harry's eyes cracked open, he was lost in bliss.

"OH, dear," Bob said, watching them intently. When Harry let out a moan of joy and he noted Azami's hips twitching in humping motions, Bob shook his head. "At least they are dressed," he said with a sigh.

Azami got her nip, and licked Harry's neck clean. "Sleep well, Harry dear," she whispered in his ear, then kissed him on the temple.

Harry settled down to sleep, her arms still around her and a look of bliss on his face.

Bob cleared his throat. Loudly.

Azami looked up at him. Wearing an impish grin she put a finger to her lips and slipped out from Harry's embrace. She walked back to the lab.

Keeping his voice low, Bob got beside Azami. "I never took her Majesty to be a temptress," he said in a disapproving tone.

Azami cast Bob a grin and said, "Bob, a temptress as I understand it teases men with no intentions of fulfilling the relationship they are promising. I am no temptress."

Bob stared at her. "You mean ... Harry and you ... together?" he asked in disbelief.

Azami's grin widened. "Come on Bob! You know how nice Harry is. He tries his best for everyone, and he's a pretty good Wizard." Tipping her head to the side, Azami blushed and added, "His blood is very tasty, and he's kinda cute too in his own way. There is nothing wrong with Harry."

"OH dear," Bob said again as he understood Azami's intentions. "You are aware, Your Majesty, that people these days are very prudish when it comes to age. Harry could well be branded as a child molester."

Azami frowned at him. "Harry didn't molest me," she stated.

"No, you Majesty, you molested him," Bob pointed out. "Still, the fault and the responsibility would lie on his shoulders, should anyone find out."

"That's ridiculous!" Azami cried.

"I will not argue that, many things in the world today are," Bob replied. "However, if Harry is caught being ...very personal with you, he would be thrown in jail. I am also sure your father would not be very happy at all."

Azami let out a huff and opened the secret door to the lab. Looking squarely at him, she said,"Bob, Papa does not limit us on who we choose for a mate" In a mussing tone, she added, "Well, he wasn't happy about Kashiro and Kaiyo. None of us were. I mean they are brother and sister after all."

Bob's eyes bulged.

"But I guess it's OK, because they really do love each other," Azami added. "And look at Great Grampa Apollo and Aunt Kahlua, Aunt Kahlua is around thirty something, but Uncle Apollo is ... older than rocks! I mean people today study ancient Sumeria. He helped build it! Tell me there's not a HUGE age difference there. It's like, twenty or thirty thousand years."

"It is different when you are younger," Bob said firmly. "Your life has just begun!"

"That's right," Azami agreed happily. "Moma Moka and Papa's lives has just begun, relatively speaking and they already have each other. The same with Chris and Nana, and look how happy they are!"

Bob rolled his eyes and said, "But Harry is constantly nosing around and finding trouble to get into! Who knows what kind of terrible things he will decide he has to fight."

"Yes!" Azami said, raising a clenched fist. "You see, Harry is a perfect match for me!" she beamed.

The front door opened. "Harry?" Mrs. Murphy called.

Bob shrunk back into the wall. Azami shut the lab door and went out to meet her.

"Hi, Mrs. Murphy," Azami said cheerfully. "Harry's taking a nap."

"A nap?" Murphy asked. "And what are you doing?"

"Just looking around," Azami said, then quickly added, "I didn't touch anything! It's just that Harry has some really cool stuff."

Murphy frowned at her. "Well, if Mr. Dresden," she said, emphasizing his last name, "is sleeping, we better leave."

Azami scooped up her jacket and made sure the door was locked on the way out.

.

Harry awoke with a yawn and a stretch, feeling great. OK, so the dream he had was a decadent, perverted fantasy, but it was good! Sitting up on the couch, he wondered how he got here.

"Bob?" Harry called.

In a puff of black smoke, Bob appeared.

"You have a problem, Harry," the ghost intoned.

"Um, yeah. The last I remember, I was at my desk. How'd I get in here?" He asked.

Speaking in a clipped tone, Bob said, "You fell asleep at your desk. Her Majesty, Miss Aono, carried you in and laid you down." Looking down on Harry as he stood with his arms across his chest, Bob asked, "Tell me, Harry, did you have any erotic dreams?"

Harry cracked a half grin. "Yeah, actually. OK, so if she carried me in here, that would explain why I dreamed of..." He stopped as Bob shook his head.

"What?"

"No dream, Harry," Bob intoned.

Harry's face paled as he asked, "What happened?"

Casting Harry an unhappy gaze, he said, "Let's just say in some of the less advanced cultures, you would be married now, possibly with a shotgun-toting red neck father behind you."

"What?" Harry asked weakly as the rest of the blood drained from his face.

"Her majesty is very taken with you. I do not know if she intends to tell her father that she has found her mate."

"WHAT!" Harry asked in a yell, his eyes all but popping from his head.

"As I said, Harry, you have a problem," Bob intoned.

Harry stared at Bob for a moment. First Azami breaks the arm of THE most powerful wizard in Chicago, and now this. "She wants to drive me crazy," he said vacantly.

Holding up a finger Bob took on a thoughtful look and said, "No, Harry, I believe she wants you to drive her, if you get my meaning."

"Bob!" Harry yelled, flushing from his insinuation.

"You didn't see what you two were doing. I did," Bob stated.

Harry scrubbed his face with his palms and got up. He paced, then stopped and eyed Bob as he yelled, "If this is a joke, it's in VERY poor taste, Bob!"

The phone rang. "You should get that," Bob prodded.

"We're not done with this yet!" Harry said, pointing a scolding finger at Bob.

"I think you're just getting started," Bob said said dryly as Harry went to get the phone.

Harry snatched the phone up and barked, "Dresden."

Bianca's voice came over the line. "Hello Harry, I got a job for you. Come to the Black Court headquarters. You know the place. I need your help."

"Bianca, I've got a situation I have to straighten out," Harry replied firmly.

"We have a bigger one here, and I can't fix it. Remember, you're on the Aono pay roll now. See you shortly." Click

Harry stared at the phone, then banged it down in place. "I'll be back," he called to Bob, grabbed his coat and his hockey stick and left.

Tapping his finger on his chin in thought, Bob mussed, "I wonder what I should wear to the wedding? Or perhaps it will be Harry's indictment?"

.

"So how long were you snooping around Harry's place?" Murphy asked, glancing at Azami in the passenger seat.

"Not long," Azami mussed. "He does have some really cool things, and I learned from Bob about some of the differences in wizard magic compared to witchcraft. From what he explained, the basic elements are the same, it's how the energy is drawn up and the person's mind set when they cast is different."

"The ghost," Murphy said with a nod. "And you understood what he told you?"

"Yes, I did go to Witch school. This year I got most of my classes in before I came here."

"This place you live has a school just for witches?" Murphy asked, not quite believing it.

"Yeah, duh, it's called Witch Hill for a reason," Azami said with a giggle. "Aunt Ruby is really powerful, and Mama Yukari is a genius! She's been showing us how to use our yokai energy to cast. I can only do a few spells, but Mama Yukari assured me I have the talent to much more when I get older."

"You cast spells? Like that dome over the park?" Murphy asked.

"Nothing that big, Aunt Ruby did that to keep the fight away from humans, and keep those nasty vampires contained," Azami said. The then realized what she had just admitted. "Oops," she whispered to herself.

Murphy shot Azami a surprised look. " Nasty Vampires, in Chicago?" she asked.

Azami shrugged. "Not any more," she said sheepishly.

"While we're talking about this, what were those roars?" Murphy pressed. She added, "I won't tell anyone."

Azami huffed and said, "OK. Those were the dragons Mama Moka brought, just to be sure none of those vampires got away. Those vampires were animals, Mrs. Murphy, we had to kill them. They had no respect for anyone, not even themselves."

Thinking about vampire legends, Murphy said, "They kill people."

"Yeah, ones like that do. It gives the rest of us bad names," Azami agreed. Wanting to make sure Mrs. Murphy understood, she said, "You see, a true natural born vampire does not need that much blood, and we have enough self respect to not live in horrible places, and have enough respect for those around us to not be mean to them. The ones we killed were weak. Mama Yukari figured out why they are so different, They weren't born a vampire, they were turned into one just before, or when they died."

"I thought that was how all vampires came to be," Murphy said.

"No! That's only what makes the weak ones. See, Mama Yukari figured out that the reason they need so much blood is that their body is dead, or very near, but their yokai keeps them alive. That makes them very hungry all the time. We had that problem with Barnabas and Liz, but we were able to force-feed them, and bring up their strength enough to heal their bodies. Now, they are both doing well, and are proper vampires," Azami explained.

"So, they don't bite people any more," Murphy concluded.

"Little nips or a blood pack, but they don't hurt anyone," Azami said with a shrug.

Murphy digested this information, then said, "Well that would explain the mysterious disappearances we've been having."

Azami nodded. Again she said, "But you can't tell anyone, Mrs. Murphy, it would turn out very bad."

"At least I know now," Murphy said. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

"As long as you don't tell anyone else."

Murphy grew a tiny smile and said, "Promise."

Once they were home, Azami practiced ballet for a while using the classic music CD. Looking for something else to dance to, she tried finding something on the radio. She'd listen to a song to get the rhythm, then decide it was too fast, or not right and look for another song. Doing this for a while, she gave up and did a few exercises, back flips, jumps, splits touching her forehead to her front ankle then her head to her back leg, then stood on her hands and did some push-ups finishing with a half back flip onto her feet.

"Wow," Anna said, watching her. "You are really limber."

"It helps keep me loose so I can dance good. Aunt Kahlua showed me how," Azami told her.

"Does your Aunt Kahlua work?"

"She used to but she quit. She lives with Great Grandpa Apollo now. She still does the pretty dance."

"What did she do? Was she a professional ballet dancer?"

"No, Aunt Kahlua was a professional assassin. She says learning ballet helped take care of many targets at once," Azami said in her conversational tone. Looking at the clock, she said, "I should go get changed and cleaned up for dinner."

Anna stared at her as she left. A ballet dancing assassin vampire. Why was that so hard to imagine?


End file.
